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[Calgary Flames]

Flames prospect roundup: Defence prospect Eric Jamieson scored a hat trick

Another week where Zayne Parekh dominated the Ontario Hockey League – what’s new?

This is the Feb. 15-21 edition of the Flames prospect roundup, where we look at how Calgary Flames prospects did this past week, specifically those at the junior and college levels. The American Hockey League prospects have their own article in the Wranglers recaps.

Let’s take a look at the week that was!

Editor’s note: All stats are updated as of Saturday afternoon. Any non-Russian games this Saturday will be included in next week’s prospect roundup.

Zayne Parekh​

Zayne Parekh and the Saginaw Spirit played three games this past week, defeating the Sudbury Wolves 8-3, the Sarnia Sting 7-3, and the North Bay Battalion 5-1.

As you can imagine, it was a good week for Zayne Parekh. The Flames’ top prospect scored a goal and two assists in their 8-3 win, two assists in their 7-3 win, and three assists in their 5-1 win, picking up the game’s first star. For the season, Parekh has 27 goals and 83 points in 50 games, just six goals and 13 points back of matching his career-high.

THREE QUICK ONES FOR SAGINAW

The @SpiritHockey came out HOT tonight, with Dimian Zhilkin, Michael Misa, AND Nic Sima all scoring to take control of the game!#OHL | @CHLHockey | #NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/2lv8542M2T

— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) February 21, 2025

With a 32-21-2 record, the Spirit sit fourth in the Ontario Hockey League’s Western Conference. They’ve gained separation on the fifth-placed Erie Otters, now with a seven-point lead, but still trail the third-placed Kitchener Rangers by 17 points. The top eight teams in the conference make the post-season, but the Spirit will more than likely play the Otters.

Matvei Gridin​

Matvei Gridin’s Shawinigan Cataractes played two games this past week, defeating the Saint John Sea Dogs 6-4 and the Acadie-Bathurst Titan 5-0.

Gridin only played the first game where he scored a goal and three assists, named the second star of the game. This season with the Cataractes, the 18-year-old has 29 goals and 66 points in 49 games.

With a 30-18-5 record, the Cataractes have 65 points and have clinched a post-season berth. They are just a point back of the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada for second in the Québec Maritimes Junior Hockey League’s Western Conference, with the top seven teams making the post-season.

Andrew Basha​

Andrew Basha remains out of the Medicine Hat Tigers’ lineup but the team went 2-1 this past week. They defeated the Regina Pats 1-0, the Lethbridge Hurricanes 5-1, and fell 5-4 to the Edmonton Oil Kings.

The Tigers sit at the top of the Western Hockey League’s Eastern Conference with a 37-17-4 record with 78 points, one point ahead of the Calgary Hitmen. The top eight teams in the conference make the post-season.

Jacob Battaglia​

This week, Jacob Battaglia and the Kingston Frontenacs played three games, falling in their first game 3-2 to the Peterborough Petes. However, they defeated the Barrie Colts 6-4 and the Brantford Bulldogs 4-2.

Battaglia was held off the scoresheet in the first two games but came back with a vengeance in their 4-2 win over the Bulldogs on Friday, scoring a goal and picking up two assists. This season, the 18-year-old has 33 goals and 76 points in 55 games and continues to build off his career high.

LIL' SPIN AND GO FROM BATES!

That's number 33 for Jacob Battaglia and it's a BEAUTY!@NHLFlames | #Flames https://t.co/zFzJBzJAgr pic.twitter.com/BoG5QfX660

— Kingston Frontenacs (@KingstonFronts) February 22, 2025

The Frontenacs have clinched their trip to the post-season, as they have a 33-14-8 record. Their 74 points are the third-most in the Ontario Hockey League’s Eastern Conference, but they sit fourth due to the Barrie Colts leading the other division in points. The Frontenacs are just one point back of the Bulldogs for the division lead with two fewer games played. Moreover, the top eight teams in the conference make the post-season.

Henry Mews​

If you want high-scoring hockey, watch the Sudbury Wolves. They fell 8-3 to the Saginaw Spirit, and played a barn burner against the Guelph Storm where they fell 7-6, before smashing the Owen Sound Attack 8-1.

Henry Mews had himself a solid week though, picking up two assists in each of the losses, before scoring a goal in their 8-1 victory. This season, the right-shot defenceman has 14 goals and 73 points in 56 games. He’s second in defenceman scoring, five behind Zayne Parekh.

The Wolves have a 26-23-5 record with 57 points, sitting firmly in seventh place in the Ontario Hockey League’s Eastern Conference. They are four points back of the Niagara IceDogs and Brampton Steelheads, while they have nine more points than the eighth-placed Brampton Battalion. The top eight teams in the conference make the post-season.

Kirill Zarubin​

Kiril Zaurbin and the Tula Mikhailov Academy didn’t play this past week. As it stands, they have a 28-12-3 record with 59 points, fifth in the Western Conference’s Gold Division. The top five teams avoid the play-in qualifier contested between the sixth through eighth teams in the division as well as the top three teams in the Silver Division.

For the season, Zarubin has a .933 save percentage and a 2.38 goals against average in 16 games, with an 8-8-0 record. Play him more!

Trevor Hoskin​

Trevor Hoskin looks like a terrific draft selection for the Flames. This past week, the University of Niagara won both games they played – a 2-1 victory over Robert Morris and a 6-3 victory over Canisius.

The forward had a good week, assisting on both goals in their 2-1 victory, before scoring the game-winning goal in their 6-3 victory. For the season, Hoskin has 12 goals and 37 points in 32 games. His assist total is fifth in the NCAA and first for all freshmen, while his 36 points are tied for 11th. Pretty darn good.

This season, Niagara has a 15-8-2 record in the conference with 48 points, which puts them fourth. All 11 teams make the post-season, with the top five teams getting a bye in the first round.

Luke Misa​

It was a busy week for Luke Misa and the Brampton Steelheads. They picked up seven of a possible eight points as they defeated the Oshawa Generals 4-2 twice, the Niagara IceDogs 6-0, and fell 4-3 in overtime to the London Knights.

In the Steelheads’ first 4-2 victory over the Generals, Misa picked up an assist and four shots. The 19-year-old followed that up with a goal and two assists in their 6-0 victory but was held pointless in their other 4-2 victory. Thankfully, he picked up two assists against the Knights. This season, Misa has a career-best 32 goals, as well as 75 points. He’s just six points back of matching his career-best point total.

pic.twitter.com/Mg1MAhNl6n

— Brampton Steelheads (@OHLSteelheads) February 17, 2025

With a 26-20-9 record, the Steelheads have 61 points and sit sixth in the Ontario Hockey League’s Eastern Conference. They are tied with the IceDogs in points and have a four-point lead over the Sudbury Wolves. The top eight teams in the conference make the post-season.

Hunter Laing​

Hunter Laing’s Saskatoon Blades had a busy week. Their first game saw them fall 6-5 in a shootout against the Swift Current Broncos, followed by a 6-3 defeat at the hands of the Brandon Wheat Kings. The Blades got back on track with a 4-3 win over the Lethbridge Hurricanes and capped off the week with a 3-2 overtime win over the Red Deer Rebels.

It was a good week for the Flames’ prospect, scoring a goal in their 6-5 shootout loss. That was followed up by a pretty rough game where he was a -3, but he made up for it with a two-goal game in the Blades’ 4-3 victory over the Hurricanes. Laing was held pointless in the Blades’ 3-2 overtime victory on Friday. This season with the Prince George Cougars and Blade, Laing has 18 goals and 34 points in 53 games.

HUNTER LAING AGAIN @BladesHockey | #Flames | #WHLWednesday pic.twitter.com/klNye2GPux

— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) February 20, 2025

With a 30-18-7 record, the Blades sit sixth in the Western Hockey League’s Eastern Conference, a point back of the division-leading Prince Albert Raiders and tied with the Wheat Kings. The leaders of the two divisions sit first and second in the conference, with eight teams making it to the post-season

Eric Jamieson​

Sticking in the Western Hockey League, Eric Jamieson and the Everett Silvertips had a solid week. They lost 5-1 to the Prince George Cougars but followed that up with a 3-2 victory against the Victoria Royals and a 4-1 victory over the Portland Winterhawks.

Jamieson was held pointless in their defeat (although not for a lack of trying with five shots on net). He made up for it by scoring all three of the Silvertips’ goals in their 3-2 victory. To make things even better, he picked up an assist in their 4-1 victory. For the season, Jamieson has a career-high 12 goals and 32 points, matching his career-best from last season.

Eric Jamieson. That's the tweet.

ROLL THE HIGHLIGHT FILM!#ForEverett | @walottery pic.twitter.com/l55WEhTTns

— x – Everett Silvertips (@WHLsilvertips) February 18, 2025

The Silvertips sit first in the Western Hockey League with a 40-10-7 record and 87 points, nine points up on the Spokane Chiefs. Their post-season spot has been clinched for a while now.

Étienne Morin​

Étienne Morin and the Moncton Wildcats had a good week, defeating the Halifax Mooseheads twice before shutting out the Cape Breton Eagles 6-0.

Sadly, Morin was held pointless throughout the week, finishing with two shots on net and a +1. Still, he’s been one of the best offensive defencemen in the Québec Maritimes Junior Hockey League this season, scoring 11 goals and 44 points in 51 games. His 11 goals are tied for the second-most for defencemen while his 44 points are fourth for defencemen.

Like the Silvertips, the Wildcats punched their ticket into the post-season a while ago, as they have a 42-9-2 record with 86 points. They have a seven-point lead over the Rimouski Océanic for the QMJHL lead, with nine teams in the conference making the post-season.

Aydar Suniev​

Aydar Suniev and UMass played two games this past week, falling 4-1 to Boston College and 4-3 in a shootout to New Hampshire.

The Flames’ prospect was held pointless in their 4-1 defeat but scored two goals and an assist in their 4-3 shootout loss, his best game since returning from injury. This season, the 20-year-old Russian winger has 16 goals and 30 points in 26 games, both markers being a career-best season.

Putting this one from Aydar Suniev on repeat

He has the only two goals of the game so far…@NHLFlames

Third period coming up on @ESPNPlus – https://t.co/0ni2NLEPXj#NewMass X #Flagship pic.twitter.com/nrrXNSfmaO

— UMass Hockey (@UMassHockey) February 22, 2025

UMass has 19 games played in the division while picking up 25 points thanks to a 7-9-3 record. All 11 teams make the post-season, with the bottom six teams playing in the opening round.

Jaden Lipinski​

The Vancouver Giants had a great week, winning all three games they played. First was a 4-3 shootout victory over the Victoria Royals, followed by a 7-2 victory over the Prince George Cougars and a 5-1 victory over the Kelowna Rockets.

Lipinski picked an assist in their 4-3 victory and was held pointless in their 7-2 victory. However, he popped off with two goals and two assists with a +5 in the Giants’ 5-1 victory, somehow not being named a top-three star. For the season, the right-shot centre has 12 goals and 46 points in 46 games.

Jaden Lipinski picked up two goals and two assists in last night's 5-1 victory over the Kelowna Rockets. He was not named one of the three stars. pic.twitter.com/LZ6pZX0eyV

— Ryley Delaney (@Ryley__Delaney) February 22, 2025

This season, the Giants have a 28-21-5 record with 62 points, putting them in sixth place in the Western Hockey League’s Western Conference. They are just a point back of the Portland Winterhawks and six points of the Prince George Cougars, while the top eight teams in the conference make the post-season.

Yegor Yegorov​

Yegor Yegorov’s Moscow Krylya Sovetov had a great week when they needed it most, defeating Moscow JHC Atlant 4-2 and beating Primorsky Krai Taifun twice, one game was a 4-3 victory in overtime and the other a 5-2 victory.

The Russian netminder played two games this past week, both against Taifun. In the first game, he had an .893 save percentage and 2.93 goals against average in a 4-3 overtime win, followed by saving 30 of the 32 shots he faced for a .938 save percentage and 2 goals against average in their 5-2 victory. For the season, Yegorov has a .910 save percentage and 2.96 goals against in 15 games played.

It was a crucial three victories for Krylya Sovetov, as those three wins propelled them back into a top three spot in the Western Conference’s Silver Division. The top three teams in that division played the sixth, seventh, and eighth-seeded teams of the Gold Division. It’s still tight though, as their 22-19-4 record gives them just 48 points, one ahead of Russkie Vityazi.

Axel Hurtig​

The Calgary Hitmen played four games this past week, falling 4-2 to the Prince Albert Raiders, before defeating the Swift Current Broncos 5-2, the Regina Pats 5-0, and the Brandon Wheat Kings 5-0. Unfortunately, Axel Hurtig missed all four games and still has four goals and 13 points in 44 games this season.

Some good news though, as the Hitmen clinched a post-season berth this week as they now have a 36-15-5 record with 77 points. They are just a point back of the Medicine Hat Tigers for the conference lead.

Cade Littler​

The North Dakota Fighting Hawks and Cade Littler had a good week, defeating Denver University 3-1 and Minnesota-Duluth 4-2. More importantly, Cade Littler picked up his fourth goal of the season in the 4-2 victory, giving him six points in 27 games this season.

This season, North Dakota has a record of 11-7-1 for 34 points in the conference. The top eight teams in the nine-team conference make the post-season, playing in the traditional 1-8 format.

Arsenii Sergeev​

Aresenii Sergeev and Penn State played two games this past week, defeating Notre Dame 3-2 and Michigan State 3-2 in a shootout.

As you can imagine, Sergeev played in both games, saving 36 shots on 38 attempts in each game, finishing with a .947 save percentage. The victory over Notre Dame saw him post a 2 goals against average, while their shootout win saw the Russian netminder post a 1.85 goals against average.

Thanks to those two wins, Penn State now has a 7-15-1 record in the conference, which brings them to fifth. All seven teams make the post-season, though.

As always, you can follow me on Bluesky @ryleydelaney.bsky.social.

Sponsored by bet365:

Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/flames...nce-prospect-eric-jamieson-scored-a-hat-trick

 

[Calgary Flames]

Digging into the sparse trade history between the similar Flames and Flyers franchises

The Calgary Flames and Philadelphia Flyers share plenty of similarities on and off the ice.

Both teams won their last championship many decades ago, back when the National Hockey League had far fewer teams than it does now. They’ve also long been overshadowed by their closest geographical rivals. The Flames and Flyers can only dream of being as blessed with generational talents as the Edmonton Oilers and Pittsburgh Penguins have been over the last 40-odd years. Calgary and Pittsburgh are the better cities, but Edmonton and Pittsburgh have always had better luck.

To remain competitive in the Battles of Alberta and Pennsylvania, the Flames and Flyers have had to make do with workmanlike groups that play as a unit and do all they can to shut down the elite skill on the other side. They’ve both been able to parlay that approach into surprise playoff runs: Philly reached the Stanley Cup Final in 1997 and 2010, while Calgary made it within one game of a second title in 2004.

Despite all these connections, the Flames and Flyers have seldom been significant trade partners during their respective histories. Prior to last month’s shake-up, the two teams hadn’t consummated a player swap since 2013 — and you’d have to go all the way back to 1987 to find anything that surpasses the magnitude of what we saw last night.

Here’s a look at all 13 trades the Flames have made with the Flyers since relocating from Atlanta in 1980.

Jan. 30, 2025: Flames acquire Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee​

By now, you know all about it. The Flames swung a major deal with the Flyers in January that was finalized as both teams were on the ice at opposite ends of the continent. It was a bit of a mess!

In a shocking turn of events that harkened back to the memorable Mike Cammalleri-for-Rene Bourque swap, the Flames and Flyers both pulled players out of their lineups in the middle of their respective games as the trade neared its completion. In the end, the deal saw Calgary acquire Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee from Philadelphia in exchange for Jakob Pelletier, Andrei Kuzmenko, a 2025 second-round pick, and a 2028 seventh-round pick.

Right now, we don’t know much of anything about how this deal will affect the two teams and the players involved. Frost and Farabee both look to be upgrades on the two players the Flames gave up, but fans in Calgary will miss the energy and enthusiasm Pelletier and Kuzmenko brought to the rink on a nightly basis. It’s also fair to question whether the Flames should be giving up second-round picks at this point in their retool, even for players in their early-to-mid-20s.

Make no mistake: Calgary and Philly haven’t made a deal this consequential in a long, long time. Right now, the Flames look like the winners, but it could go either way. We’ll just have to wait and see.

June 29, 2024: Flames and Flyers swap picks​

See, this is more the norm. The Flames and Flyers hooked up for a minor deal on Day 2 of the 2024 NHL Draft, with Philly trading up from picks 150 and 177 to acquire pick 107 from Calgary.

The Flyers apparently coveted Finnish forward Heikki Ruohonen, who they took at 107. The Helsinki product has 16 points in 24 games with the USHL’s Dubuque Fighting Saints this season. Calgary had already selected forward Trevor Hoskin with pick 106 and felt they could afford to trade down instead of making a second consecutive choice.

The early returns have certainly favoured the Flames. Luke Misa, who they picked up at 150, has had a strong D+1 season with the OHL’s Brampton Steelheads, collecting 59 points in 45 games. Eric Jamieson, their selection at 177, has spent the year as Landon DuPont’s defence partner with the WHL’s Everett Silvertips and has 27 points and a +30 rating through 47 contests. Don’t be surprised if the Flames sign both players to entry-level contracts within the next 12 months.

Mar. 6, 2024: Flyers help swing the Noah Hanifin deal​

It’s one of the more minor transactions on this list, but it still counts. The Vegas Golden Knights needed a little extra help to acquire Noah Hanifin from the Flames at last year’s trade deadline, so the teams enlisted the Flyers to help streamline the process.

The other major pieces in the deal all headed to Calgary, but the Flyers did receive a 2024 fifth-round pick from Vegas in exchange for retaining 25 percent of Hanifin’s remaining cap hit for the 2023-24 season. Before that, the Flames started off the transaction by trading Hanifin to the Flyers (retaining half his salary) in exchange for the signing rights to Mikhail Vorobyov, whom they proceeded to flip to Vegas in exchange for Daniil Miromanov, a 2026 first-round pick, and a 2024 third-round pick (used to select goaltender Kirill Zarubin).

Of course, this was primarily a deal between Calgary and Vegas, with the Flyers only taking part as a third-party broker. You’d be forgiven if you forgot (or didn’t even know) they took part at all.

Feb. 25, 2013: Flames trade Mitch Wahl for Mike Testwuide​

Who? Who!? Yes, these are real people. In fact, one of them is still playing professionally in Germany. But neither of these players ever made it to the NHL and both were barely hanging on in North America at the time of this particular swap.

Jay Feaster’s Flames and Paul Holmgren’s Flyers were both destined to miss the playoffs in the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season when they pulled the trigger on this minor-league deal. Mitch Wahl, a 2008 second-round pick of the Flames and a junior standout with the Spokane Chiefs, had struggled to carve out a role with the Abbotsford Heat over his first four pro seasons and ended up being loaned out to the Hamilton Bulldogs in 2011-12. He’d put up big numbers in the ECHL, but that was about it. After the trade, Wahl ended up two more seasons in North America before embarking on a solid European career that included stops in Sweden, Finland, Austria, Slovakia, and Germany, where he plays to this day.

Mike Testwuide, who the Flames acquired from Philly, had been a better AHLer over the previous few seasons, but he was also undrafted and three years older. The former Colorado College captain put up two goals and an assist over nine games with the Heat to close out the season before leaving for the hockey hotbed of South Korea, eventually becoming a citizen and serving as captain of their men’s national team at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.

June 30, 2008: The Kyle Greentree/Tim Ramholt blockbuster​

This time, it was Darryl Sutter who swung a deal with Holmgren — and the Flames even got two NHL games out of the guy they brought in. How about that?

Kyle Greentree was the dictionary definition of a quadruple-A player during his time in North America. He was big, reasonably talented, and had a good shot, but he peaked a little later on and didn’t quite have the skillset teams were looking for in their bottom-six players back in the 2000s. As a result, the former Victoria Salsa star only ever skated in four NHL games — two with Philly, two with Calgary — before heading overseas.

Tim Ramholt went the other way in this particular deal and is most notable for having one of the shortest careers in NHL history. One of Sutter’s first-ever draft picks with the Flames, Ramholt made his debut with the club early in the 2007-08 season and took one 45-second shift, which was enough for head coach Jim Playfair to decide he’d seen enough. He sat on the bench the rest of that game and never played in the NHL again, finishing with a career minus-one rating in less than a minute of ice time.

Feb. 20, 2008: Flames bring in Jim Vandermeer​

Jim Vandermeer made a name for himself in the early 2000s as a reliable bottom-pairing defenceman who never stuck around all that long with his teams despite blocking a lot of shots and throwing plenty of hits — two things GMs in the 2000s loved more than anything.

Vandermeer split the 2007-08 season between three teams, starting in Chicago and ending in Calgary with a stint in Philly sandwiched between. The Caroline, Alberta product had started his NHL career with the Flyers as an undrafted free agent and appeared in 28 more games with the team during his second stint before being flipped to the Flames for a 2009 third-round pick, which Philadelphia used on goaltender Adam Morrison.

After finishing out the season in Calgary, Vandermeer signed a three-year extension with the Flames on July 1. But after spending much of the 2008-09 campaign as a reserve, Vandermeer ended up on the move again, being flipped to the Phoenix Coyotes in exchange for Brandon Prust.

Jan. 22, 2003: Flyers take a flier on Jamie Wright​

Always more of a top AHL scorer than a true difference-maker at the top level, Jamie Wright spent just over half his NHL career with the Flames. Although he scored a career-high 16 points in 44 games with the Flames in the 2001-02 season, Wright never quite found a niche for himself in Calgary and ended up being traded to the Flyers the following year in exchange for future considerations.

The Flames were the team that gave Wright his first real chance to be a regular after he bounced back and forth between the NHL and AHL in the Dallas Stars organization for many years previously, but, not unlike how Austin Czarnik would fare in his own Flames stint just over 15 years later, Wright just couldn’t quite hack it when he was finally given a look. He skated in just 19 games with Calgary in 2002-03 before being sent to Philadelphia, where he’d dress for four more games before spending the rest of his career in lower-level pro leagues.

June 24, 2001: Flames acquire Dean McAmmond​

Now we’re talking. One of the NHL’s great journeymen in his day, Dean McAmmond and the Flames were involved in three separate trades over the span of less than two years in the early 2000s. The first one saw the Flames acquire the Grande Cache, Alberta product from the Flyers in exchange for a 2002 fourth-round pick, which Philly ended up using on defenceman Rosario Ruggeri.

McAmmond spent the majority of the 2001-02 season on Calgary’s top line with Jarome Iginla and Craig Conroy and reaped the rewards in a big way, setting career highs with 21 goals and 51 points in 73 games. But it wouldn’t last, with the Flames electing to flip McAmmond to the Colorado Avalanche on the eve of the 2002-03 season as part of a deal that also saw Derek Morris and Jeff Shantz head to the Avs for Chris Drury and Stéphane Yelle, the latter of whom spent the next five seasons in Calgary.

It took less than six months for Colorado to send McAmmond back to Calgary. In March 2003, the Flames gave up a 2003 fifth-round pick (used on Marc McCutcheon) to reacquire the veteran forward, but because of an obscure rule related to the now-defunct waiver draft, McAmmond was deemed ineligible to play for the Flames for the remainder of the 2002-03 season. He ultimately rejoined the team in 2003-04 and scored 17 goals in 64 games, but a back injury kept him out of the entirety of the team’s run to the 2004 Stanley Cup Final.

Mar. 6, 2000: Flames bring back Marc Bureau​

Marc Bureau enjoyed a long and somewhat productive career as a checking centre throughout the 1990s, most notably with the Minnesota North Stars, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Montreal Canadiens. But he bookended that career with two separate stints as a member of the Calgary Flames, and calling them both “brief” would be an understatement.

An undrafted player, Bureau worked his way onto the Flames’ radar after winning a QMJHL championship in 1987 with the final iteration of the Longueuil Chevaliers. He turned pro with the IHL’s Salt Lake Golden Eagles the following year and immediately won another championship with them in 1988. But after appearing in just 10 games with the Flames over parts of two seasons, Bureau was traded to the North Stars in exchange for the draft pick that turned into Sandy McCarthy.

548 NHL games later, Bureau — then 33 and a member of the Flyers — was nearing the end of his run. With the Flames looking to shore up their depth ahead of the trade deadline, they traded AHL tweener Travis Brigley and a 2002 sixth-round pick (used on Andrei Razin) to Philly in exchange for Bureau, who skated in nine more games with Calgary to finish his NHL career.

Oct. 13, 1998: Flames sell high on Ryan Bast​

You probably don’t know who Ryan Bast is, but you probably do know a few of the players who the Flames ended up getting down the line as part of his surprisingly expansive trade tree. Let’s dig in!

Let’s wind the clocks back to 1997. The Saint John Flames are one of the best teams in the AHL — they’d go on to win the Calder Cup a few years later — and one of their most intriguing young players is a 22-year-old Ryan Bast, who was named an AHL second team All-Star that year after racking up 11 points and 187 penalty minutes in 77 games with the Baby Flames. (Also on that team: Martin St. Louis).

Back in the late ’90s, the 6’2″, 190-pound Bast was a little bit on the smaller side for a shutdown defender, but that didn’t deter the Flyers in their search for the next Chris Therien. Early in the 1998-99 season, the Flyers acquired Bast and a 1999 eighth-round pick from the Flames in exchange for a 1999 third-round pick.

Bast only ever appeared in two NHL games during his career. The players selected with the two picks involved in the deal never made it to the NHL. But it’s what the Flames ended up doing what that 1999 third-rounder that really made waves. See, they ended up trading that pick to the New York Rangers as part of a deal that brought them Marc Savard and the pick they used on Oleg Saprykin. They ended up trading Saprykin for Daymond Langkow, who they ended up trading for Lee Stempniak, who ended up being flipped for a pick they used to acquire Brandon Bollig.

In a way, Ryan Bast was partially responsible for all of that. Aren’t trades fun?

Mar. 18, 1993: Flyers flip Greg Paslawski to Calgary​

If you played for the St. Louis Blues at any point in the 1980s, you were almost guaranteed to end up in Calgary by the end of your career — even for just 34 games. Greg Paslawski was no exception.

No, he wasn’t quite on the level of Doug Gilmour, Joey Mullen, Rob Ramage, or even Mark Hunter or Rick Wamsley, but Paslawski was a decent player in his own right who scored 20 goals four times in his Blues tenure. By the time he ended up in Calgary, however, Paslawski was on his last legs as an NHLer. As such, the Flames only had to part with a 1993 ninth-round pick (used on E.J. Bradley) to add Paslawski at the 1992-93 trade deadline.

Paslawski was reasonably productive with the Flames to close out the season, collecting four goals and nine points in 13 games and adding three more goals in six playoff contests, but he managed just two points in 15 games the following year before being demoted to the IHL’s Peoria Rivermen. He never played in the NHL again.

Aug. 26, 1987: Flames bring in Brad McCrimmon​

We’ve finally reached the biggest deal on this list (and it’s not close). By the time Brad McCrimmon joined the Flames in 1987, he had already established himself as one of the top defensive defencemen in the entire National Hockey League. He’d also played an instrumental role in the Flyers reaching the 1987 Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers, scoring the winning goal in Game 3. But after a year marred by contract disputes between McCrimmon and the team, the Flyers — led by longtime GM Bobby Clarke — elected to move on from the 28-year-old rearguard.

Even with Al MacInnis, Gary Suter, and Jamie Macoun already in the fold, the Flames were more than happy to add McCrimmon to their lineup. The price they paid — a 1989 first-round pick (Steve Bancroft) and a 1988 third-round pick (Dominic Roussel) — ended up being more than worth it. McCrimmon led the entire NHL with a +48 rating in his first season in Calgary and skated in all 22 playoff games the following year as the Flames won their first and only Stanley Cup — meaning the first they gave up for him ended up being the final pick in the round. Not bad at all.

McCrimmon only spent three seasons in Calgary, but they were three of his very best. After being traded to the Detroit Red Wings in 1990, McCrimmon helped usher a young Nicklas Lidstrom into the NHL; the Flames sorely missed his presence (and others) in the following years and ended up missing the playoffs altogether in 1991-92.

McCrimmon finished his NHL career with stints in Hartford and Phoenix before turning to coaching. After a successful tenure with the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades, McCrimmon returned to the Flames for parts of three seasons as an assistant coach under Don Hay and Greg Gilbert in the early 2000s. He also worked with the Red Wings, New York Islanders, and Atlanta Thrashers before leaving North America ahead of the 2010-11 season to join KHL club Lokomotiv Yaroslav as head coach. But before he had the chance to coach a single game with Lokomotiv, McCrimmon — along with most of the team — tragically died in a plane crash on Sept. 7, 2011.

Nov. 11, 1981: Flames send Brad Marsh to Philly for Mel Bridgman​

Looking back, most of the trades between the Flames and Flyers over the last 45 years took place either at the trade deadline or in the summer. Most of them were relatively standard pick-for-player deals. Only a few featured players on both sides, and not very many of those players spent all that long in the NHL. But two of these trades stand out as being particularly similar to each other, and it just so happens that they’re the first and last on the list.

This past January, the Flames and Flyers pulled off the elusive “hockey trade” — one wherein both teams simultaneously added to and subtracted from their roster. The Flames added a couple draft picks to make the deal work, but in essence, it was Pelletier and Kuzmenko for Farabee and Frost. It wasn’t just as simple as one team buying and the other selling; it’ll take months, if not years, to determine which team won the deal. There aren’t many other trades on this list that fit into that category.

… Except for this one. Back in 1981, the Flames and Flyers pulled off another mid-season swap, and this one was even simpler — in fact, it was a classic one-for-one deal. Coming to Calgary: Mel Bridgman, one of the younger Broad Street Bullies. Heading to Philly: Brad Marsh, the Calgary Flames’ first-ever captain.

While, at first, the Flames appeared to get the better end of the deal, Bridgman lasted only two years in Calgary while Marsh cemented himself as a defensive cornerstone in Philadelphia over parts of seven seasons. Marsh helped the Flyers reach the Stanley Cup Final twice during his tenure; Bridgman was reasonably productive in Calgary but ended up being flipped to New Jersey alongside Phil Russell in exchange for Steve Tambellini and Joel Quenneville, neither of whom amounted to much of anything for the Flames.

Perhaps the moral of this particular story is that fans should avoid rushing to declare which teams won or lost a trade. Maybe … but where’s the fun in that?

---

This article is brought to you by Platinum Mitsubishi​

This article is a presentation of Platinum Mitsubishi, family owned and operated by lifelong Calgarians. Home of the industry-leading 10-year, 160,000-kilometre powertrain warranty. Check out their showroom at 2720 Barlow Trail NE or online at www.mitsu.ca.

Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/joel-farabee-morgan-frost-flames-flyers-trade-history

 

[Calgary Flames]

Instant Reaction: Flames return from break with ugly win over Sharks

Welcome to Instant Reaction, where we give you our instant reaction to tonight’s Calgary Flames game and ask our readers to do the same in the comments section below!

Sunday evening’s game between the Calgary Flames and San Jose Sharks was not a pristine example of the majesty of the game of hockey. In fact, at times it was a bit of a slog. Both teams looked like they were shaking the rust off after the 4 Nations Face-Off break.

The Flames grinded out a 3-2 victory in a back-and-forth three periods of hockey against the Sharks.

The rundown​

The Sharks opened the scoring 3:41 into the first period off a nice bit of passing by the visitors. Jake Walman threw the puck from the point down to Tyler Toffoli behind the Flames’ net. Toffoli then promptly threw the puck into the slot area, where Macklin Celebrini had position on Jake Bean, received the pass and fired the puck past Dustin Wolf to make it 1-0 Sharks.

Macklin Celebrini opens the scoring.

: Sportsnet | NHL#Flames pic.twitter.com/QuZy8omxiZ

— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) February 24, 2025

Roughly four minutes later, though, the Flames scored on a power play. They won the face-off, made a few passes, and then a Nazem Kadri shot seemed to wobble off Walman’s backside and into the Sharks net to make it a 1-1 game.

FLAMES GOAL

Nazem Kadri scores his 20th goal of the season!

: Sportsnet | NHL#Flames pic.twitter.com/BtzfhT9lSa

— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) February 24, 2025

First period shots were 14-8 Flames. Via Natural Stat Trick, five-on-five scoring chances were 7-4 Flames (high-danger chances were 4-2 Flames).

Early in the second period, the Flames took the lead off a nice bit of battling and passing from the fourth line. Martin Pospisil won a battle along the wall, giving space for Ryan Lomberg to make a pass to Kevin Rooney. Rooney chipped the puck past Georgiev to make it 2-1 Flames.

FLAMES GOAL

Kevin Rooney puts the Flames up by one!

It's good to see the fourth line contribute. The Flames are going to need that moving forward if they want to make the playoffs.

: Sportsnet | NHL#Flames pic.twitter.com/0HTaFaiJFC

— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) February 24, 2025

Second period shots were 13-13.

Early in the third period, the Sharks tied it up. William Eklund made a nice pass to Toffoli in front of the Flames net. Toffoli’s initial shot was stopped by Wolf, but Toffoli batted in his own rebound to make it a 2-2 hockey game.

Tyler Toffoli scores for San Jose. We're all tied up.

: Sportsnet | NHL#Flames pic.twitter.com/AvzFYsqq6b

— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) February 24, 2025

But as the clock began to wind down, the Flames made a nice bit of passing in the San Jose end and were rewarded for it. Joel Hanley pinched, received a pass from Jonathan Huberdeau after his own initial shot was blocked, and fired the puck past Georgiev to give the Flames a 3-2 lead.

FLAMES GOAL

Joel Hanley scores his first goal of the season and it comes at a big time!

: Sportsnet | NHL#Flames pic.twitter.com/vmfpshzVxG

— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) February 24, 2025

The Flames held on for the victory.

Third period shots were 9-8 Flames. Five-on-five scoring chances were 5-4 Flames (high-danger chances were 3-2 Sharks).

Why the Flames won​

The Flames… were fine! Were they especially good? Nope! Were they especially bad? Nope. They were too leaky defensively for anyone’s comfort, but they got the saves they needed and the goals they needed to eke out a win against one of the NHL’s lowest-ranked clubs.

Red Warrior​

Y’know what? We’ve given the fourth line guff this season for their performances, but Lomberg, Rooney and Pospisil had a pretty good outing. We’ll give them the collective nod.

Turning point​

It’s gotta be Hanley’s game-winning goal. It was his first of the season and it was the goal the Flames absolutely needed.

This and that​

The special teams units for the Flames looked like this:

• PP1: Weegar, Kadri, Huberdeau, Coronato and Frost
• PP2: Andersson, Zary, Coleman, Sharangovich and Farabee/Backlund
• PK1: Andersson, Solovyov, Backlund and Coleman
• PK2: Weegar, Pachal, Huberdeau and Rooney
• PK3: rotating defenders, Farabee and Sharangovich

Connor Zary returned to the lineup. Kevin Bahl missed the game due to illness.

Up next​

The Flames (27-21-8) are headed on the road for a six game trip. First up? The Washington Capitals on Tuesday night.

This article is brought to you by Platinum Mitsubishi​

This article is a Presentation of Platinum Mitsubishi, family owned and operated by lifelong Calgarians. Home of the best warranty in the business with ten year warranties available. Check out the showroom at 2720 Barlow Trail NE or online at www.mitsu.ca

Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/instant-reaction-flames-return-from-break-with-ugly-win-over-sharks

 

[Calgary Flames]

Recap: Wranglers up to eight straight losses after shootout loss to the Reign

The Calgary Wranglers looked for some revenge on the Reign after falling in their last two games against them over the Family Day weekend. They had another tight battle in this game and ended up taking the game out of regulation for the third game in a row. This time, the game was not decided in overtime and went to a shootout.

Unfortunately, the Wranglers couldn’t score and both Reign shooters found the back of the net to pick up the win.

Lineup notes​

On a back-to-back and no wins on the month, this game felt like the natural time to make some changes to the lineup. Kyler Kupka, who was signed to a PTO on Saturday, made his Wranglers debut for this game and wore number 33. Calgary went with a less experienced lineup for this game giving some time to Charles Martin and Waltteri Ignatjew in addition to Kupka. The changes from their previous game included scratches to Joni Jurmo and Brett Davis as well as a night off for Devin Cooley.

Wranglers lines​

Lucas Ciona – Rory Kerins – Martin Frk

William Stromgren – Clark Bishop – Kyler Kupka

Sam Honzek – Sam Morton – Parker Bell

Alex Gallant – David Silye – Trevor Janicke

Jonathan Aspirot – Jeremie Poirier

Yan Kuznetsov – Hunter Brzustewicz

Artem Grushnikov – Charles Martin

Waltteri Ignatjew

Game at a glance​

Calgary switched things up in net to start Waltteri Ignatjew for his first game in nearly a month. On the other end of the ice Pheonix Copley started for the Reign. The Wranglers had the first few looks on Copley and Kupka wasted no time registering a shot for his new team. The Reign started taking things the other way but Ignatjew kept these shots out.

The Wranglers struck first for the sixth time in a row against Ontario this season when Hunter Brzustewicz evaded a defender and put up a perfect shot for his fourth goal of the season. This goal came at 15:59 and was assisted by David Silye and Trevor Janicke.

BRRRRR it's cold in here Up 1-0!! pic.twitter.com/6MS44pYj7M

— Calgary Wranglers (@AHLWranglers) February 24, 2025

It was a pretty uninterrupted first period with no penalty calls and with Ontario’s push in the middle of the period, they led the Wranglers 12-5 in shots after one complete period but Calgary had the 1-0 edge in scoring.

In the second period, the Reign had their first best look of the night about four minutes in with Ignatjew pulled out of the net and the Wranglers’ defenders trying to cover the net. The Ontario shooter fanned on this chance and kept the game at a 1-0 score.

Ontario ended up getting an equalizing goal at 9:59 when Jeff Malott passed up to Joe Hicketts who beat Ignatjew on his shot. Calgary pushed back for a few minutes after this tying goal and the Reign owned the zone in the last few minutes of the period. Another period went by without a penalty call and the score was 1-1 at the end of 40 minutes. Shots through the middle frame were 17-8 Ontario.

The penalty-less game came to an end quickly in the third when Charles Hudon was called for tripping just 20 seconds into the period. This turned into a brief five on three for Calgary when Francesco Pinelli was called for a spearing attempt double minor. The Reign’s woes continued with a delay of game call at 3:01, giving Calgary a full two minutes five on three. It was not a reviewable play but it did appear the puck stayed in on this play.

Despite this rough go of calls against the home team, they still managed to prevent Calgary from scoring a go-ahead goal. The Reign got a five on three chance on the power play later in the period after Parker Bell was called for tripping then Sam Morton was called for holding at 12:23. Calgary also killed this penalty off and the score remained 1-1.

One more penalty against Calgary towards the end of the third didn’t end up changing the score either and time ran out in regulation. The Reign and Wranglers finished 1-1 at the end of the third and Calgary out-shot Ontario 12-6 in the third period.

Overtime was very energetic and either team could’ve taken the game in this extra frame, but time ran out before they could. Shots in overtime were 3-2 for the Reign. In the shootout, William Stromgren and Jeremie Poirier were unable to score and both shooters, Glenn Gawdin and Jeff Malott scored to take the win. The Reign won 2-1 in a shootout.

The shots finished 39-27 for the Reign in this game and the Wranglers are now up to seven straight losses on this losing skid.

Scoring stat summary​

Hunter Brzustewicz – 1G

David Silye – 1A

Trevor Janicke – 1A

Next up​

The Wranglers wrap up their three games on the road with a match-up against the San Diego Gulls on Wednesday. Puck drop is at 8:00 p.m. MT.

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Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/recap-...aight-losses-after-shootout-loss-to-the-reign

 

[Calgary Flames]

Arsenii Sergeev is the Flames’ next netminder worth keeping an eye on

The Calgary Flames sure love their Russian netminders.

As mentioned in the Kirill Zaurbin article from a few days ago, the Flames have picked four goaltenders in the past five National Hockey League drafts, with all of them being from Russia.

Interestingly, Arsenii Sergeev, who we’ll look at today, is the only netminder of the four who played in North America before his draft. The Yaroslavl, Russia native played at three different levels in his draft year, the NCDC, the North American Hockey League (United States’ tier II junior league), and the United States Hockey League (US’ tier I junior league).

Most of the 2019-20 season was spent with the NAHL’s New Jersey Jr. Titans where he had an .892 save percentage and 3.56 goals against average in 15 games played. He played two games in the USHL with the Sioux Falls Stampede, as well as four games with the NCDC New Jersey Rockets.

Entering his draft year, the 2020-21 season, Sergeev played with the Shreveport Mudbugs of the NAHL. The netminder’s play improved that season, posting a .936 save percentage and 2.17 goals against average in 20 games. He played just one postseason game as the Mudbugs won the 2021 Robertson Cup. In the seventh round of the 2021 draft, the Flames picked him 205th overall.

Sergeev exclusively played with the Tri-City Storm of the USHL in 2021-22, authoring a .918 save percentage and 2.08 goals against average in 41 games. In five postseason games with the Storm, he had an .892 save percentage and 2.17 goals against average.

Sergeev went the collegiate route, playing his freshman and sophomore seasons with the University of Connecticut. In his first season, he had a .912 save percentage and 2.61 goals against average in 20 games, followed by a .913 save percentage and 2.50 goals against average in 16 games in 2023-24.

Heading into the 2024-25 season, two things happened. First off, he decided to transfer to Penn State, a school in a weaker division where he’ll get more playing time. The other thing is that the netminder ranked as an honourable mention on our prospect countdown. In that article, Mike Gould noted that if Sergeev can stay around the .910 range with a less-than-ideal defence core in front of him, the netminder may re-rank on our list.

Well, with Penn State, Sergeev has an impressive .920 save percentage and 2.50 goals against average in 25 games. He’s started all but seven games but has bolstered his stock drastically. Penn State currently sits fifth in the Big 10 conference with 31 in-conference points but has an opportunity to pass Michigan who have 32 points. Just two games are remaining this season, with the best-of-three quarterfinals starting on Mar. 7.

It’ll be interesting to see how Sergeev does.

Thanks for reading! You can follow me on Bluesky @ryleydelaney.bsky.social.

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Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/arsenii-sergeev-is-the-flames-next-netminder-worth-keeping-an-eye-on

 

[Calgary Flames]

NHL Notebook: Red Wings trade netminder Ville Husso to the Ducks

We’re just 10 days away from the National Hockey League trade deadline.

As per usual, we’re seeing some trades come in before the deadline, including one on Monday evening as the Detroit Red Wings traded netminder Ville Husso to the Anaheim Ducks for future considerations.

UPDATE: The #RedWings have traded Ville Husso to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for future considerations. pic.twitter.com/Tsj140lUfc

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) February 25, 2025

If you’re wondering if the Ducks have a second move lined up, it doesn’t appear to be that way (yet). According to Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli, the team wants their American Hockey League team to make the postseason and with John Gibson’s injury, they had to call up Oscar Dansk.

There's no dot to connect between Ville Husso trade to Anaheim and a potential John Gibson trade.

In AHL San Diego, Calle Clang is out month-to-month and Oscar Dansk is only other goalie with experience. They want San Diego to make playoffs.

Gibson expected back this week.

— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) February 25, 2025

Husso was selected in the fourth round of the 2014 draft by the St. Louis Blues, making his debut with them in 2020-21. His 2021-22 season remains the best of his career, posting a .919 save percentage and 2.56 goals against average in 40 games played. That off-season he was traded to the Red Wings.

Although he started his first season with the Wings off well, he ended the season with an .896 save percentage and 3.11 goals against average in 56 games played. Husso played just 19 games in 2023-24 before an injury and played just nine games with the Wings in 2024-25. Most of his season has been spent with the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL, posting a .912 save percentage and 2.70 goals against average.

Trevor Zegras suspended for three games​

Sticking with the Ducks… and the Red Wings, Ducks forward Trevor Zegras was suspended for three games on Monday after hitting Red Wings forward Michael Rasmussen in the head. The official call was interference.

Anaheim’s Trevor Zegras has been suspended for three games for interference against Detroit’s Michael Rasmussen. https://t.co/HziR0pQ04t

— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) February 24, 2025

Zegras’ hit occurred late in the second period, with Rasmussen leaving the game. The hit was not penalized and Rasmussen is day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

As for Zegras, it’s been a rough couple of seasons for the 2019 ninth-round selection. After back-to-back 23-goal, 60+ point seasons, he struggled with injury and performance in 2023-24, scoring six goals and 15 points in 31 games. So far this season, another season in which he’s dealt with injuries, the 23-year-old has seven goals and 16 points in 34 games.

Zegras will return to the lineup for the Ducks on Mar. 4 against the Edmonton Oilers.

Ryan Hartman’s suspension reduced to eight games​

In other suspension news, Ryan Hartman’s appeal dropped his 10-game suspension down to eight games.

Commissioner Gary Bettman upholds suspension of Wild’s Ryan Hartman; Reduces length from 10 to eight games. https://t.co/LD9MhtSzds pic.twitter.com/VesT9LFoBL

— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) February 24, 2025

The incident happened back on Feb. 1 when Hartman’s Minnesota Wild took on the Ottawa Senators. Hartman pushed Senators forward Tim Stützle’s head into the ice and was ejected from the game, with the 10-game suspension being handed down a few days later. The Wild forward has a lengthy suspension history, as he was suspended twice in the 2023-24 and two other times in his past.

With the reduction in the suspension, Hartman is eligible to return to the Wild lineup on Mar. 4 against the Seattle Kraken. This season, he has seven goals and 17 points in 48 games, with a career-high of 34 goals and 65 points back in 2021-22.

Thanks for reading! You can follow me on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

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Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/nhl-notebook-red-wings-trade-netminder-ville-husso-to-the-ducks

 

[Calgary Flames]

Instant Reaction: Flames open gauntlet trip with big win in Washington

Welcome to Instant Reaction, where we give you our instant reaction to tonight’s Calgary Flames game and ask our readers to do the same in the comments section below!

The Calgary Flames began a crucial stretch of their 2024-25 season on Tuesday night when they visited the Washington Capitals, the top team in the Eastern Conference. They didn’t play a perfect road game, but they played a superb first 20 minutes and then played well enough to hold onto their lead.

The Flames opened their six-game “gauntlet” road trip with a 3-1 win over the Capitals.

The rundown​

The Flames played one of the better first periods of the season against the Capitals. Yeah, it did look like the Capitals were a bit flat-footed, but the Flames did a good job maintaining their shape as they defended, moved up ice and generated scoring chances.

Midway through the period, they managed to capitalize off a couple bounces to grab the lead. Ilya Solovyov pinched down from the point and fired the puck on net. The shot ricocheted off netminder Logan Thompson and went out into the slot area, where it bonked off Martin Pospisil’s shin and trickled into the net. (The Capitals protested after the goal, as they felt it was kicked in, but the officials ruled it a legal goal.)

FLAMES GOAL

The puck bounces off Martin Pospisil's leg and goes in! It's 1-0 Calgary!

: Sportsnet | NHL#Flames pic.twitter.com/qSEP1ILHCw

— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) February 26, 2025

Later in the period, the Flames added to their lead. First, Matt Coronato and Jonathan Huberdeau went into the Washington zone on an odd-man rush, but Coronato couldn’t connect on a pass and play went the other way. Coronato’s linemates went for a line change as Kevin Bahl swatted the puck away to break up a Washington scoring chance. The puck drifted through the neutral zone, was chased down by a visibly tuckered Coronato, who beat Thompson glove-side to make it 2-0 Flames.

FLAMES GOAL

Matt Coronato with a snipe! What a goal!

: Sportsnet | NHL#Flames pic.twitter.com/TBKNGcbYPr

— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) February 26, 2025

First period shots were 14-5 Flames. Via Natural Stat Trick, five-on-five scoring chances were 12-6 Flames (high-danger chances were 4-3 Flames).

The second period saw the Capitals push back, seemingly aware they were down by two goals at home to the Flames. As a result, the Capitals pressed for much of the period, aided by a pair of power plays. But the Flames did a pretty decent job minimizing the damage, blocking shots and allowing Dan Vladar to see most of Washington’s chances.

Joel Hanley also put Capitals defenceman Taylor Raddysh into the Flames bench with a hit.

Joel Hanley hits Taylor Raddysh into the Flames bench!

: Sportsnet | NHL#Flames pic.twitter.com/z78N4Uiv16

— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) February 26, 2025

Second period shots were 12-3 Capitals. Five-on-five scoring chances were 10-4 Capitals (high-danger chances were 3-2 Capitals).

Early in the third period, Jonathan Huberdeau was called for a slash on Alex Ovechkin. On the resulting power play, Ovechkin seemed to surprise Vladar with a quick shot from near the bottom of the circles that beat the Flames’ netminder short-side. That cut the Flames lead to 2-1.

Alex Ovechkin scores goal 883. It's a one goal game.

: Sportsnet | NHL#Flames pic.twitter.com/Y7CrKqZkdi

— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) February 26, 2025

But the Flames managed to answer back later in the third period. Nazem Kadri won a loose puck behind the Capitals net, then attempted a wrap-around on Thompson. The Capitals netminder stopped Kadri, but the rebound trickled to the other side of the crease, where Jonathan Huberdeau quickly chipped it into the open Washington net to give the Flames a 3-1 lead.

FLAMES GOAL

Jonathan Huberdeau puts the Flames up by two!

: Sportsnet | NHL#Flames pic.twitter.com/FJmUKK7vGK

— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) February 26, 2025

The Flames held on for the 3-1 victory.

Third period shots were 10-8 Capitals.

Why the Flames won​

The Flames were excellent in the first period and fully earned their two-goal lead. And while they weren’t nearly as good in the final 40 minutes, they did a pretty capable job of weathering the storm. Yeah, they probably wish they got a bit more out of their special teams – Washington’s lone goal was on the power play while the Flames scored all of theirs at five-on-five – but that’s a nitpick. They faced one of the NHL’s top teams in their rink and never trailed. That’s an accomplishment.

Red Warrior​

Rasmus Andersson didn’t register any points, but he set the tone for the team’s defending in the final 40 minutes with many, many shot blocks.

Turning point​

We’re going to single out Coronato’s breakaway goal. It was a heck of a shot, but it also sent the Flames into the first intermission with a bit of margin for error. It held up as the eventual game-winner.

This and that​

With this victory, the Flames have used up their game-in-hand on the Vancouver Canucks and leap-frogged them to move into the final Western Conference playoff spot. The Canucks are back in action on Wednesday against the Los Angeles Kings.

Kevin Bahl returned to action after missing eight games with an upper body injury and one game with an illness.

Ovechkin’s goal was his 30th of the season.

IT'S ANOTHER 30-GOAL SEASON FOR ALEX OVECHKIN! #Gr8Chase

Alex Ovechkin's 19th 30-goal season comes at age 39 making him one of just four players to achieve the feat at this age or older. Ovechkin joins Gordie Howe, Johnny Bucyk, and Teemu Selanne. pic.twitter.com/ZS9Rg0ew4E

— NHL (@NHL) February 26, 2025

Up next​

The Flames (28-21-8) are headed to the Sunshine State for their next couple of games. They visit the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday evening.

This article is brought to you by Platinum Mitsubishi​

This article is a Presentation of Platinum Mitsubishi, family owned and operated by lifelong Calgarians. Home of the best warranty in the business with ten year warranties available. Check out the showroom at 2720 Barlow Trail NE or online at www.mitsu.ca

Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/instant-reaction-flames-open-gauntlet-trip-with-big-win-in-washington

 

[Calgary Flames]

Huska pleased with Flames effort in first game of crucial road trip

The Calgary Flames are in a fight for their playoff lives. With 57 games played and a couple of different positions possible in the Pacific Division and the wild card playoff races, every game counts.

With that in mind, winning games on the road — something the Flames struggled to do early in the season — becomes even more critical now, and a six-game road trip is an important place to start.

First up on the list of road games (all against Eastern Conference opponents except for their Mar. 6 match-up with the Dallas Stars) was a test against the Washington Capitals, a team sitting well atop their own division, separated by the second-place team by 14 points.

With the goaltending tandem of Logan Thompson and Charlie Lindgren playing the best hockey of their careers and Alexander Ovechkin chasing down Wayne Gretzky’s all-time scoring record, the Flames had a test on their hands and came out firing on all cylinders.

After the winning effort, head coach Ryan Huska said his team played a fantastic game and praised every aspect of the group.

“I loved our start,” Huska said, via Flames TV. “I thought we had a lot of guys that were courageous tonight with the shot-blocking. I thought our fourth line was good. I thought our goaltending was really good. So there was lots to like from our group tonight. It was a good team game.”

The Capitals did not go away without a fight, though. They played a scoreless second after the Flames went up 2-0 in the first period. However, Washington and their usual threats – Ovechkin scored with assists from John Carlson and Dylan Strome – converted on the man-advantage less than five minutes into the third. But the Flames did not stop pushing, and Jonathan Huberdeau scored late to reinstate the two-goal lead.

“[It was] important,” Huska said. “You always look to your main guys, and ours scored a big goal for us to give us that two-goal lead again. With Huberdeau finding a way to score, I think it took a little bit of the pressure off us in that situation, so that was important on our part for sure.”

The Capitals have not only seemed to find a recipe for success overall throughout the 2024-25 season, but they have found their strength at Capital One Arena in downtown Washington, D.C. Their home rink has been a significant advantage for them. Before tonight, the Capitals had only lost four games on home ice, but the Flames accomplished a feat not many teams have done this season.

“I think it matters,” Huska said. “This is a tough place to play. Finding a way to get two points out of here is a big thing, so I’d like our guys to enjoy it for a couple of hours and then, we don’t have a lot of time, so we’re going to have to shift gears tomorrow and get ready for our next one.”

The Flames needed to start this all-important road trip with a bang, and they did against one of the best teams in the league. Efforts like the one they showed at Capital One Arena prove that this team can hang with the best in a smaller sample. Now, it’s about winning consistently against the best teams, which can only be proven across the larger, full-road-trip sample size.



Get ready, hockey fans! The Daily Faceoff Deadline is happening on March 7th from 11 AM to 4 PM Eastern, and you won’t want to miss it. We’ll be LIVE, breaking down every trade and big move as it happens, with instant reactions and expert analysis from the Daily Faceoff crew. Plus, we’ve got special guests lined up throughout the show, offering exclusive insights from some of the biggest names in the game. From blockbuster trades to surprise moves, we’re covering it all. Tune in to the Daily Faceoff YouTube channel and follow Daily Faceoff socials on March 7th to catch all the action!

Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/huska-pleased-with-flames-effort-in-first-game-of-crucial-road-trip

 

[Calgary Flames]

What’s Going On In The Pacific Division: The Flames regain a playoff spot

All is right in the world when the Calgary Flames are back in a post-season spot.

Sitting at the top of the Pacific Division are the Vegas Golden Knights, who have a 34-18-6 record with 74 points. Not far behind them (on paper) are the Edmonton Oilers, who have a 34-20-4 record with 72 points.

The Los Angeles Kings have been playing well lately and have a 31-17-7 record with 69 points, with three fewer games than the Golden Knights and Oilers. Sitting in the final wild card spot are the Flames, with a 28-21-8 record with 64 points.

Out of the playoffs are the Vancouver Canucks, who have one fewer point than the Flames. The Anaheim Ducks have a 25-25-7 record with 57 points, the Seattle Kraken have a 25-31-4 record with 54 points, and the San Jose Sharks have a 15-36-8 record with 38 points.

Let’s take a look at What’s Going On In The Pacific Division!

Anaheim Ducks​

The Anaheim Ducks have played three games since returning from the 4 Nations Face-Off break, defeating the Boston Bruins, falling 5-4 in overtime to the Detroit Red Wings, and falling 3-2 to the Buffalo Sabres.

Troy Terry has 16 goals and 42 points, leading the Ducks in the latter category. Frank Vatrano’s 17 goals lead the team while Mason McTavish has 14 goals and 29 points this season. In net, John Gibson has a .916 save percentage and 2.61 goals against average in 24 games while Lukáš Dostál has a .910 save percentage and 2.93 goals against average.

Mac-T

He gets the party started on the power play! #FlyTogether pic.twitter.com/FiT2ryloAJ

— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) February 26, 2025

This week, the Ducks face the Vancouver Canucks and Chicago Blackhawks at home, before heading on the road to take on the Edmonton Oilers.

Calgary Flames​

The Calgary Flames have been playing well since the break ended, defeating the San Jose Sharks 3-2 as well as the Washington Capitals 3-1. This was the second time in 2025 that the Capitals lost in regulation and the first time since November they lost in regulation on home ice.

Jonathan Huberdeau leads the team with 22 goals while his 43 points are tied with Nazem Kadri for the team lead. Kadri also has 20 goals, while Matt Coronato, Blake Coleman, Connor Zary, Yegor Sharangovich, and Mikael Backlund each have double-digit goals. In net Dustin Wolf has a .913 save percentage and 2.62 goals against average in 32 games played.

FLAMES GOAL

Jonathan Huberdeau puts the Flames up by two!

: Sportsnet | NHL#Flames pic.twitter.com/FJmUKK7vGK

— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) February 26, 2025

This week, the Flames’ Eastern Conference road trip continues with games against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers, Carolina Hurricanes, and Philadelphia Flyers.

Edmonton Oilers​

The Edmonton Oilers have struggled since coming off the break, falling 6-3 to the Philadelphia Flyers, 7-3 to the Washington Capitals, and 4-1 to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Leon Draisaitl has had a terrific season, scoring a league-leading 43 goals and is tied for the league-lead with 87 points. Connor McDavid has 22 goals and 73 points but has struggled since the break, while Zach Hyman has 19 goals and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has 16 goals. Between the pipes, Stuart Skinner has an .898 save percentage and 2.84 goals against average.

WHO ELSE?!

Leon Draisaitl can't stop scoring.

1-0 Oilers – : Sportsnet pic.twitter.com/xeoGNs9ZTj

— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) February 26, 2025

This week, their road trip continues with a rematch of the 2024 Stanley Cup Finals against the Florida Panthers before wrapping it up with a game against the Carolina Hurricanes. Their final game of the week is against the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday.

Los Angeles Kings​

The Los Angeles Kings have been playing some good hockey and since the break, they’ve defeated the Utah Hockey Club 5-3 and the Vegas Golden Knights 5-2.

Adrian Kempe leads the team with 25 goals and 48 points in 55 games, closely followed by Anže Kopitar’s 13 goals and 46 points. Kevin Fiala has 23 goals and 38 points while four other players have double-digit goals. In net, Darcy Kuemper has a .918 save percentage and 2.18 goals against average in 31 games this season.

FE FI FO FIALA FOR FIVE pic.twitter.com/ZSMMNXdE4S

— LA Kings (@LAKings) February 25, 2025

This week, the Kings face off against the Vancouver Canucks at home before starting a three-game road trip against the Dallas Stars, Chicago Blackhawks, and St. Louis Blues. In three of the first four games to start March, the Kings play the Blues.

San Jose Sharks​

Since returning from the break, the San Jose Sharks fell 3-2 to the Calgary Flames before falling 2-1 in overtime to the Winnipeg Jets. They’re not a good team but they sure are fun.

The first overall pick from the 2024 draft, Macklin Celebrini has 18 goals and is tied for the team-leading in points with 42 alongside William Eklund. Former Flame Tyler Toffoli leads the team with 21 goals, while Fabian Zetterlund has 15 goals and Luke Kunin has 11 goals. In net, it’s a mess as Alexandar Georgiev has an .879 save percentage and 3.94 goals against average while Vítek Vaněček has an .882 save percentage and 3.87 goals against average.

The kids get it done on the power play!

Smith Celebrini Eklund pic.twitter.com/thrPUJFu7P

— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) February 25, 2025

This week, the Sharks continue their road trip against the Montréal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Buffalo Sabres. They’ll finish up the road trip against the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday before returning home on Saturday, Mar. 8. That’s four different time zones in under two weeks.

Seattle Kraken​

There’s been some good and some bad for the Seattle Kraken since the break ending. They kicked it off with a 2-1 win over the Florida Panthers but fell 4-1 to the Tampa Bay Lightning and 7-2 to the St. Louis Blues to finish off their week.

Jared McCann has 15 goals and 43 points, leading the team in the latter category. Jaden Schwartz leads the team with 18 goals and the Kraken have seven other players with double-digit goals. In net, Joey Daccord has a .915 save percentage and 2.52 goals against average in 40 games and has been leaned on heavily this season since Philipp Grubauer was sent to the American Hockey League.

in case y'all haven't noticed… shane wright has been ON FIRE as of late pic.twitter.com/JsXeHTvLrY

— Seattle Kraken (@SeattleKraken) February 24, 2025

It’s a light week for the Kraken as they host the Vancouver Canucks and Minnesota Wild on Saturday and Tuesday respectively. After, they return to the road to face the Nashville Predators, Philadelphia Flyers, and Washington Capitals. Weird schedule.

Vancouver Canucks​

The Vancouver Canucks have struggled to score since coming off the break, falling 3-1 to the Vegas Golden Knights followed by a 2-1 loss to the Utah Hockey Club. In turn, they’ve lost their post-season position, albeit with a ton of time left this season.

One reason why the Canucks may be losing as much as they are is because Quinn Hughes has been out of the line-up since the break ended. The left-shot defenceman has 14 goals and 59 points, leading the team in the latter category. Jake DeBrusk has 21 goals to lead the team while five other players have double-digit goals. In net, Kevin Lankinen has a .907 save percentage and 2.52 goals against average in 35 games played.

CANUCKS SCORRRRRE

EP40 sets up Jake DeBrusk, who slides the puck through Karel Vejmelka to give the Canucks the opening goal!#Canucks #UtahHC
: Sportsnet | NHL pic.twitter.com/vuZjY4sK0X

— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) February 24, 2025

This week, the Canucks road trip continues as they face off against the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday and the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday. They’ll finish up their road trip play against the Seattle Kraken on Saturday to finish their week.

Vegas Golden Knights​

It’s been a mixed bag for the Vegas Golden Knights since returning from the 4 Nations Face-Off break, defeating the Vancouver Canucks in their first game back before falling 5-2 to the Los Angeles Kings.

Jack Eichel has been playing well this season, scoring 19 goals and 69 points, leading the team in the latter category. Mark Stone producing well as well with 15 goals and 50 points. Leading the team in goals is Pavel Dorofeyev, while Tomáš Hertl has 22 goals and 44 points. In net, Adin Hill has a .903 save percentage and 2.59 goals against average while Ilya Samsonov has an .891 save percentage and 2.82 goals against average in 23 games played.

(Mark) Stone Cold pic.twitter.com/95OCpmSRUg

— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) February 25, 2025

The Golden Knights start a home stand this week, hosting the Chicago Blackhawks and New Jersey Devils. It’ll extend into the following week before they head on an Eastern Conference road trip.

Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for FlamesNation, Oilersnation, and Blue Jays Nation. They can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

Presented by…​

This article is presented by Servus Credit Union. Start saving now to have your chance at winning $1 million with the Servus Big Share® Contest.

Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/whats-going-on-in-the-pacific-division-the-flames-regain-a-playoff-spot

 

[Calgary Flames]

Isa Parekh is emerging as an intriguing college free agency target for the Flames

The Calgary Flames are relatively well-equipped when it comes to high-end right-handed defensive prospects.

Between Zayne Parekh, Hunter Brzustewicz, and Henry Mews, the Flames likely already have their top RHD of the future, as well as one or two more everyday NHLers at the position. They’re in a great spot.

But beyond those three players, the Flames only have one other defender under 25 in their entire organization who plays the right side. One! That would be Jake Boltmann, who is currently in his fifth year of NCAA hockey, and it would be surprising (if not shocking) to see the Flames sign him to an entry-level contract.

The Flames are extremely top-heavy on the right side. For all intents and purposes, they have no organizational depth at the position beyond those three blue-chippers. And that’s what could make them a natural suitor for Zayne Parekh’s older brother, Isa — who, as it happens, was just named the Central Collegiate Hockey Association’s defenceman of the week.

@ParekhIsa is your @CCHAHockey Defenseman of the Week earning his 2nd league award!#GoBeavers #BeaverTerritory pic.twitter.com/bQc3viMmgI

— Bemidji State Men’s Hockey (@BSUBeaversMHKY) February 24, 2025

Isa Parekh is a 21-year-old defenceman at Bemidji State University who shoots right, just like his younger brother. Officially listed at 6’0″ and 153 pounds, he has a bit of growing yet to do before he turns pro, but he seems to have a bit of Zayne’s skill and skating ability and could, at minimum, help solidify the Flames’ depth chart.

Unlike Zayne, who was on the radar of scouts around the hockey world as a potential top pick for years before the Flames snagged him at No. 9 in 2024, Isa is a late bloomer who has followed a more circuitous route to reach this point.

The older Parekh is the top-scoring defenceman on a Bemidji State team that has generally struggled to put the puck in the net this season. His 18 points in 29 games are more than double the next-highest total of any rearguard on the team; Kirklan Irey, the Clippers’ leading scorer, has just 23 points in 32 games.

Parekh is older for a freshman but he’s one of the highest-scoring first-year defenders playing NCAA Division I hockey. He’s not all that far off from respected NHL picks like Tom Willander (VAN), Sam Rinzel (CHI), and Ryan Chesley (WSH), all of whom play for programs with high-powered offensive alignments. And the list of NHL-affiliated NCAA defenders of any age with fewer points than Parekh this season is dozens of names long.

Zayne Parekh didn’t have to deal with the COVID shutdown during his junior career. Isa did, and it took place right as he was breaking in with the OJHL’s North York Rangers. After playing in only 11 games with the team in the 2019-20 season, the older Parekh lost out on the entire 2020-21 campaign — and a full year of development time — due to the pandemic.

Upon the resumption of league play in 2021-22, Parekh managed 29 points in 50 games with North York. He went undrafted. The following year, he amassed 13 goals and 61 points in 54 games split between the Rangers and Georgetown Raiders. At that point, it was time for him to level up, so he made the jump to the BCHL and joined the Nanaimo Clippers for his 20-year-old season in 2023-24.

Between the end of his tenure in Nanaimo and the start of his college career, Parekh attended Flames development camp alongside his younger brother and earned positive reviews — including one from Zayne himself.

“So many people have counted him out,” the younger Parekh told Postmedia’s Wes Gilbertson last July. “So many people have cut him from a team. So to see him here, in this spot, it puts a smile on my face. I mean, I hope he can reflect on this and see how far he has come, because it’s pretty impressive.”

The Flames have a long and storied history of signing, drafting, or trading for the brothers of star NHLers, all to varying degrees of success. Val Bure was one of the better ones; Rob Niedermayer and Gino Cavallini were okay; Freddie Hamilton, Richie Regehr, and Staffan Kronwall were among the ones to forget. They even took part in the only brother-for-brother trade in NHL history, swapping Brett Ritchie for Nick Ritchie in a deadline deal with the Arizona Coyotes back in 2023.

Signing Isa Parekh when he’s ready to leave college would help the Flames address an organizational need. If he has even half of his brother’s talent, he’d be a great addition to the organization. And if anything, the Flames would just be adhering to their own long-standing tradition by uniting the brothers in Calgary. It just makes sense on a number of levels.

---

This article is brought to you by Platinum Mitsubishi​

This article is a presentation of Platinum Mitsubishi, family owned and operated by lifelong Calgarians. Home of the industry-leading 10-year, 160,000-kilometre powertrain warranty. Check out their showroom at 2720 Barlow Trail NE or online at www.mitsu.ca.

Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/isa-pa...ng-undrafted-college-fa-target-for-the-flames

 

[Calgary Flames]

Instant Reaction: Flames offence goes cold against Lightning

Welcome to Instant Reaction, where we give you our instant reaction to tonight’s Calgary Flames game and ask our readers to do the same in the comments section below!

The Calgary Flames headed to Tampa Bay to face the Lightning on Thursday evening in the second game of their crucial six game road trip. The Flames played a pretty good road game. They played a pretty tight-checking game and didn’t give up very much… but they simply could not solve Lightning netminder Andrei Vasilevskiy.

The Flames lost to the Lightning by a 3-0 score.

The rundown​

The highlight of the first period for the Flames was a superb stop by Dustin Wolf on Brandon Hagel.

Dustin Wolf stops Brandon Hagel on a breakaway. A big save early in the 1st period.

: Sportsnet | NHL#Flames pic.twitter.com/gvpfpgr2L7

— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) February 28, 2025

With Nazem Kadri in the box for an offensive zone tripping minor, Nikita Kucherov went to pass the puck across the Flames’ zone. But his pass bonked off MacKenzie Weegar’s skate and into the Flames net to make it 1-0 Lightning.

Nikita Kucherov shoots the puck off MacKenzie Weegar's skate and in. 1-0 Tampa

: Sportsnet | NHL#Flames pic.twitter.com/L8Nz3Qwn5S

— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) February 28, 2025

First period shots were 7-7. Via Natural Stat Trick, five-on-five scoring chances were 7-5 Flames (high-danger chances were 3-2 Flames).

The Flames looked strong in the second period, but they had a pair of power plays where they just couldn’t generate very much in terms of dangerous-looking chances.

Second period shots were 9-8 Flames. Five-on-five scoring chances were 13-5 Flames (high-danger chances were 5-2 Flames).

The Lightning got some insurance early in the third period. They entered the Flames zone with numbers but the Flames defended the initial rush well. But Hagel threw a pass to Erik Cernak, entering the zone as the trailer. Cernak skated right down into the slot and fired the puck past Wolf to make it 2-0 Lightning.

2-0 Lightning

: Sportsnet | NHL#Flames pic.twitter.com/FGdDWn7jgA

— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) February 28, 2025

Hagel added an empty-netter with Wolf on the bench for the extra attacker, and that gave the Lightning a 3-0 victory.

Third period shots were 11-7 Flames.

Why the Flames lost​

It’s hard to win when you don’t score, and it’s hard to score when your power play is as flat as the Flames was against the Lightning. They played a pretty good road effort, but they needed their special teams to be a difference-maker for them… and they weren’t. The game was up for grabs for their power play a few times… and the Flames couldn’t grab it.

Red Warrior​

Let’s go with Wolf. He allowed two goals, sure, but one was a bad bounce on a power play and the second was a clear look by Cernak. He gave the Flames a chance against a strong team in a tough building.

Turning point​

Cernak’s insurance marker was a tough one to give up, as with how Vasilevskiy looked, it was extremely unlikely they’d be able to get a pair past him.

This and that​

This was Blake Coleman’s 600th NHL game.

This was the Flames’ third shutout loss of the season.

Up next​

The Flames (28-22-8) are headed to south Florida. They face the Panthers on Saturday afternoon.

This article is brought to you by Platinum Mitsubishi​

This article is a Presentation of Platinum Mitsubishi, family owned and operated by lifelong Calgarians. Home of the best warranty in the business with ten year warranties available. Check out the showroom at 2720 Barlow Trail NE or online at www.mitsu.ca

Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/instant-reaction-flames-offence-goes-cold-against-lightning

 

[Calgary Flames]

A Flame from the Past: Gary McAdam

Do you remember Gary McAdam?

Every week, we’ll look at a forgotten Calgary Flames player in the weekly series “A Flame From the Past.” Of course, the player had to have played a significant number of games for the Flames – at least a full season. Each week, I’ll put every Flames season (since moving to Calgary) in the Wheel of Names. This week, it landed on the 1981-82 season, with the player we’ll look at in today’s article being Gary McAdam

Born in Smiths Falls, Ontario, a town an hour outside of the Nation’s Capital (and a town I’ve frequented on multiple occasions for poutine), McAdam started his junior career with his hometown Bears, scoring a goal and four points in 25 games in 1971-72. He made his major junior debut the following season for the Ottawa 67’s of the Ontario Hockey Association, scoring 14 goals and 22 points in 61 games.

In 1973-74, the forward played for the St. Catherines Black Hawks of the same league, scoring 30 goals and 67 points in 67 games. Entering his draft year, McAdam scored 24 goals and 77 points in 65 games, leading to the Buffalo Sabres picking him with the 53rd overall pick in the 1975 draft.

McAdam’s first professional season was split between the American Hockey League and National Hockey League. He played 24 games with the AHL’s Hershey Bears, scoring 14 goals and 27 points. With the Sabres, McAdam scored a goal and three points in 31 games.

In 1976-77, McAdam became a regular for the Sabres, scoring 13 goals and 18 points, along with a goal in six post-season games. The following season was one of McAdam’s best, scoring 19 goals and 41 points in 79 games. His final season in Buffalo saw him score six goals and 11 points in 40 games before being traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins, finishing the season with five goals and 14 points.

McAdam’s first full season with the Penguins in 1979-80 saw him score the same stat line as two seasons prior, 19 goals and 41 points. After 34 games in 1980-81 where he scored five goals and 12 points, he was traded to the Detroit Red Wings where he scored five goals and 19 points.

A funny connection with Smiths Falls is that they’ve produced three NHLers, all of whom played for the Detroit Red Wings at one point in their career. The other two are Terry Carkner and Don McKenney.

Once again, McAdam was traded, this time to the Calgary Flames for the 1981-82 season, where he scored 12 goals and 27 points in 46 games. If he kept this pace over a full 80 games, McAdam would’ve scored 20 goals and 48 points. However, he spent a portion of the season with the Central Hockey League’s Dallas Black Hawks.

McAdam re-signed with the team that drafted him, the Sabres, to start the 1982-83 season. He played just four games and mainly played with the AHL’s Rochester Americans, where he scored 40 goals and 69 points en route to a Calder Cup. He holds the record for 11 shorthanded goals that season in the AHL.

In 1983-84, he signed with the Washington Capitals, scoring a goal and six points in 24 games and was traded again, this time to the New Jersey Devils where he scored nine goals and 15 points in 38 games. That was basically it for his NHL career, but McAdam scored 32 goals and 52 points in 70 AHL games in 1984-85. His final 15 NHL games were spent with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1985-86 before he hung up his skates.

Overall, McAdam scored 96 goals and 228 points in 534 career games, along with six goals and 11 points in 30 post-season games.

Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for FlamesNation, Oilersnation, and Blue Jays Nation. They can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

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Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/a-flame-from-the-past-gary-mcadam

 

[Calgary Flames]

Flames blueline prospect Joni Jurmo is waiting for an opportunity

The Calgary Flames have a ton of defence prospects.

Two of those prospects were acquired on Jan. 31, 2024, as the Flames sent Elias Lindholm to the Vancouver Canucks. In return, the Flames received two picks, Andrei Kuzmenko, Hunter Brzustewicz, and the prospect we’ll look at in this article, Joni Jurmo.

Born in Espoo, Finland, the 6’5”, 205 lbs left-shot defenceman played his draft season on Jokerit’s youth teams, mainly their U20 team where he scored five goals and 28 points in 43 games. This led to the Vancouver Canucks selecting him in the third round of the 2020 NHL Draft.

Jurmo stayed in Finland for a while. In 2020-21, he was held pointless in 20 games JYP Jyväskyl of the SM-Liiga, while playing 10 games with Kiekko-Espoo of the second tier of Finnish hockey. Jurmo found more success there, scoring three goals and eight points.

The 2021-22 season saw Jurmo become a regular in the SM-Liiga with Mikkelin Jukurit, scoring two goals and 10 points in 50 games. He followed that up with five goals and 13 points in 52 games. In 2023-24, Jurmo split his time between Tampereen Ilves and KooKoo Kouvola scoring a goal and five points in 46 games.

During the 2023-24 season, the left-shot defenceman had his rights traded to the Flames in the Lindholm deal. In late March, Jurmo signed a two-year entry-level contract with the Flames, allowing him to come to North America to begin the 2024-25 season.

Jurmo didn’t rank on our top prospect list coming into the season, nor was he an honourable mention. However, the Finn is a big-bodied defenceman who can also skate. He isn’t afraid to carry the puck. According to his Dobber Prospects scouting report, his defence needs to improve, as does his decision-making.

This season hasn’t been great for Jurmo because he hasn’t had a whole lot of action. He’s split his time between the ECHL and the American Hockey League in his first season in North America. In the ECHL with the Rapid City Rush, he has two goals and 10 points in 12 games. However, he’s been held pointless in his 11 AHL appearances with the Calgary Wranglers.

It’s safe to say that there is a logjam of defence prospects in the Flames system. On the Wranglers alone, the team has Artem Grushnikov, Jérémie Poirier, Brzustewicz, Yan Kuznetsov, and Ilya Soloyov, with all three defencemen being 25 or younger.

Hopefully, Jurmo sees some playing time in the AHL to end the 2024-25 season as he has an intriguing blend of size and speed.

Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for FlamesNation, Oilersnation, and Blue Jays Nation. They can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

Sponsored by bet365:

Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/flames-blueline-prospect-joni-jurmo-is-waiting-for-an-opportunity

 

[Calgary Flames]

NHL Notebook: Avalanche acquire Ryan Lindgren from the Rangers

A team in the Western Conference got better on Saturday.

The Colorado Avalanche announced on Saturday morning that they’ve traded Calvin de Haan, Juuso Pärssinen, a 2025 second-round pick, and a 2025 fourth-round pick to the New York Rangers for Ryan Lindgren, Jimmy Vesey, and Hank Kempf.

We have acquired Ryan Lindgren and Jimmy Vesey from the New York Rangers in exchange for Calvin de Haan and Juuso Parssinen. pic.twitter.com/BvsjJdxRbU

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) March 1, 2025

Lindgren is the main piece of this trade, as the left-shot defenceman has two goals and 19 points in 54 games, already surpassing his career-high in the latter category. Vesey’s production has faltered this season as he has just four goals and six points after scoring 13 goals and 26 points last season. Kempf a defence prospect and a senior at Cornell University, scoring two goals and seven points in 28 games.

As for the Rangers’ return, they retain 50% of Lindgren’s contract and he’s an expiring free agent. The notable player they got was Pärssinen, who has four goals and 11 points in 37 points this season, with a career-high of 25 points in his rookie season back in 2022-23. Lastly, de Haan has been in the league for nearly a decade and a half now and has seven assists in 44 games this season.

Overall, the Avalanche got out of this deal.

Wild acquire Gustav Nyquist​

Speaking of trades, there was another one on Saturday afternoon as the Nashville Predators traded Gustav Nyquist (at 50% retention) to the Minnesota Wild for a 2026 second-round pick.

TRADE:
We've acquired Minnesota’s own second-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft from the Wild in exchange for forward Gustav Nyquist. In connection with this trade, we've agreed to retain 50 percent of Nyquist’s salary.

Full details » https://t.co/SgULUf7gnM pic.twitter.com/kMeWudEYIY

— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) March 1, 2025

Drafted in the fourth round of the 2008 draft, Nyquist had a career year in 2023-24, scoring 23 goals and 75 points in 81 games. However, his point production fell off a cliff in 2024-25, scoring nine goals and 21 points in 57 games.

With a 21-30-7 record (49 points), the Predators are well out of the post-season race as they are 24 points behind the Vancouver Canucks. Expect to see more trades from them leading into the Mar. 7 trade deadline.

The Wild, on the other hand, have a 34-22-4 record with 72 points, third in the Central Division.

Kirby Dach to miss the rest of the season​

Some injury news for a team that will likely sell at the trade deadline, Montréal Canadiens forward Kirby Dach will be out for the remainder of the season due to knee surgery.

L’attaquant Kirby Dach a subi une opération au genou droit. L'opération a été réalisée avec succès par le Dr Thierry Pauyo à Montréal et une guérison complète est attendue avant le début de la prochaine saison.

Forward Kirby Dach underwent successful surgery to his right knee.… pic.twitter.com/BRiYQRfpWb

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) February 28, 2025

Dach was selected third overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in 2019 but was traded to the Canadiens at the 2022 draft. In the forward’s first season with the Canadiens, he scored 14 goals and 38 points in 58 games. He played just two games in 2023-24 before tearing his ACL and MCL and missing the rest of the season.

Through 57 games this season, Dach has 10 goals and 22 points in 57 games. It’s a big loss for the Canadiens, who have a 28-26-5 record with 61 points, just five points back of the Columbus Blue Jackets for the final Wild Card spot.

Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for FlamesNation, Oilersnation, and Blue Jays Nation. They can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

Sponsored by bet365:

Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/nhl-notebook-avalanche-acquire-ryan-lindgren-from-the-rangers

 

[Calgary Flames]

Flames prospect roundup: Zayne Parekh named top OHL defenceman for the second consecutive month

For the second consecutive month, Zayne Parekh is the Ontario Hockey League’s defenceman of the month.

This is the Feb. 22-28 edition of the Calgary Flames prospect roundup, where we look at how Calgary Flames prospects did this past week, specifically those at the junior and college levels. The American Hockey League prospects have their own article in the Wranglers recaps.

Let’s take a look at the week that was!

Editor’s note: All stats are updated as of Saturday afternoon. Any non-Russian games this Saturday will be included in next week’s prospect roundup.

Zayne Parekh​

The water is wet, the sky is blue, and Flames’ top prospect Zayne Parekh had a good week. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for the Saginaw Spirit, as they fell 5-2 to the Guelph Storm, 7-3 to the Windsor Spitfire, and 5-4 in overtime to the Barrie Colts, before defeating the Sudbury Wolves 7-2.

Parekh scored a goal in the first game, picked up two assists in their 7-3 loss, scored a goal and an assist in their 5-4 overtime loss, and picked up four assists in Friday’s game. This season, he has 29 goals and 92 points in 54 games, four goals and points short of matching his career-best.

#Flames prospect Zayne Parekh of @SpiritHockey is the #OHL Defenceman of the Month for the second straight month, racking up 31 points over 14 games pic.twitter.com/hzUQ3yhXyY

— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) March 1, 2025

The Spirit will be heading to the post-season, as they clinched a spot this past week with a 33-23-3 record. It’s becoming increasingly likely they’ll play the Erie Otters in the first round, as there’s a 12-point gap on the sixth-placed team while the Spirit sit fourth in the Ontario Hockey League’s Western Conference. The top eight teams in the conference make the playoffs.

Matvei Gridin​

Matvei Gridin didn’t play this week, but his Shawinigan Cataractes did. They defeated the Saint John Sea Dogs 4-1, fell 5-4 to the Val-d’Or Foreurs in overtime, and 6-5 to the Québec Remparts in a shootout. For the season, Gridin sits on 29 goals and 66 points in 49 games.

The Cataractes have already clinched their spot in the post-season, but thanks to a 31-18-7 record, they sit third in the Québec Maritimes Junior Hockey League’s Western Conference. They’re five points back of the Drummondville Voltigeurs for the conference lead. The top seven teams in the conference make the post-season.

Andrew Basha​

Also out of action is Andrew Basha. His Medicine Hat Tigers had a perfect week, defeating the Kamloops Blazers 5-0, the Edmonton Oil Kings 5-3, and Regina Pats 2-0.

The Tigers maintain the first spot in the Western Hockey League’s Eastern Conference with a 40-17-4 record and 84 points. Axel Hurtig and the Calgary Hitmen aren’t far behind, as they have 82 points. The top eight teams in the 11-team conference make the post-season.

Jacob Battaglia​

Another Flames prospect has punched his ticket to the Canadian Hockey League’s post-season – Jacob Battaglia and the Kingston Frotenacs. This past week, they defeated the Niagara IceDogs 6-3, fell 5-1 to the Oshawa Generals, but rebounded with a 4-2 win over the Windsor Spitfires.

Battaglia took two penalties in their 6-3 win, had an assist in their loss, and scored a goal in their 4-2 win against the Spitfires. This season, the winger has 34 goals and 78 points, continuing to expand on his career-best totals.

BLINK AND YOU'LL MISS IT

THAT'S 34 ON THE SZN FOR BATES@NHLFlames | #Flames https://t.co/YFx2SJTE7C pic.twitter.com/QN9JSySs29

— Kingston Frontenacs (@KingstonFronts) March 1, 2025

Although the Frontenacs have clinched their berth in the post-season, there’s still a lot up for grabs. The Brantford Bulldogs sit first in the Ontario Hockey League’s Eastern Conference with 79 points, with the Frontenacs sitting on 78 points with a game in hand. Eight of the ten teams in the conference make the post-season.

Henry Mews​

It wasn’t a good week for Henry Mews and the Sudbury Wolves. They were thumped 8-1 by Luke Misa and the Brampton Steelheads, fell 6-3 to the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, and were blown out 7-2 by Zayne Parekh and the Saginaw Spirit.

I don’t write this often, but Mews was held pointless in all three games while accumulating a -6, not great. This season, he has 14 goals and 73 points in 58 games. He’s third in the Ontario Hockey League scoring for defencemen, behind Parekh and Sam Dickinson.

Still, it looks as if the Wolves will make the post-season, as they sit seventh in the OHL Eastern Conference and have a 26-26-5 record with 57 points, nine ahead of Mews’ former team, the Ottawa 67’s. The top eight teams in the conference make the playoffs.

Kirill Zaurbin​

Tula Mikhailov Academy and Kirill Zaurbin played three games this past week, defeating Khabarovsk Amurskie Tigry 5-2 and 5-0, as well as a 3-0 shutout over Primorsky Krai Taifun.

Zarubin only played one of those games, saving 30 of 32 shots in the 5-2 victory for a .938 save percentage and 2 goals against average. This season, Zarubin has a .933 save percentage and a 2.36 goals against average.

As for the Mikhailov Academy, they sit fourth-placed in the Western Conference’s Gold Division with a 31-12-3 record. The top five teams get a bye, while teams six through eight play in a play-in game against the top three teams in the Silver Division.

Trevor Hoskin​

Niagara University’s final regular season game didn’t go great, falling 6-2 to Canisius last Saturday. Trevor Hoskin was held pointless in the game, finishing the season with 12 goals and 37 points, a great sophomore season.

The good news is that they have at least two more games this season against the fifth-placed Army in the AHA quarterfinals, with the first game of the best-of-three coming on Friday.

Luke Misa​

It was a good week for Luke Misa and the Brampton Steelheads as they went 3-0. First was an 8-1 victory over the Sudbury Wolves, followed by a 2-1 overtime win over the North Bay Battalion, capped off with a 6-3 victory over the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.

Misa picked up three assists, two in the 8-1 win, none in the second game, and one on the empty netter against the Greyhounds. For the season, the fifth-round pick has 32 goals and 78 points, just three points back of matching his career-best in the latter category.

With the three wins, the Steelheads have a 29-20-9 record with 67 points, firmly in fifth place in the Ontario Hockey League’s Eastern Conference. They sit eight points back of the division-leading Barrie Colts, which would jump them to second, but they’ll likely remain in fifth as the Niagara IceDogs are six points behind the Steelheads. Eight of the 10 teams in the conference make the post-season.

Hunter Laing​

Admittedly, I wanted to watch the Saskatoon Blades for Hunter Laing this week. The bad news for me is that they played just one game this past week, a 2-0 loss to the Lethbridge Hurricanes. Laing was a -2 in that game as he has 18 goals and 32 points in 54 games this season.

The Blades currently sit seventh in the Western Hockey League’s Eastern Conference with a 30-19-7 record and 67 points. However, they can jump to second in the conference if they win their division, as they are just four points back of the Prince Albert Raiders. They’ll head to the post-season though, as they have an 18-point lead on the Red Deer Rebels who sit ninth. Eight of the 11 teams in the conference make the post-season

Eric Jamieson​

The Everett Silvertips look as if they could go on a deep run this post-season. This past week, they fell 3-1 to the Seattle Thunderbirds but got their win back against them with a 2-1 win on Friday.

Eric Jamieson is one player I continue to be excited about. He was held pointless in their loss but scored again (the defenceman has been doing that a lot lately) in their 2-1 win. Jamieson now has 13 goals and a new career-best of 33 points in 58 games this season.

Eric Jamieson continues to build off his career-best in goals, scoring his 13th of the season.

New career-best in points as well, as this was his 32nd. pic.twitter.com/gtFIJtYexP

— Ryley Delaney (@Ryley__Delaney) March 1, 2025

The Silvertips locked down their post-season berth a while ago, but now have a 41-11-7 record with 89 points, the most in the Western Hockey League. If the playoffs were to start right now, they’d have a first-round matchup against the Thunderbirds.

Étienne Morin​

Speaking of dominant junior teams, the Moncton Wildcats look great this season. This past week, they defeated the Victoriaville Tigres 10-1 and the Drummond Voltigeurs 4-1.

Étienne Morin scored and picked up two assists in their blowout win, adding two more assists in the Wildcats’ 4-1 win. This season, the left-shot defenceman has 12 goals and 49 points, matching his total from last season in five fewer games, although he’s still far from his career best of 21 goals and 72 points.

With a 44-9-2 record, the Wildcats sit at the top of the Québec Maritimes Junior Hockey League with 90 points. If they’re able to finish first, their first-round matchup could be against the Québec Remparts, Halifax Mooseheads, or Saint John Sea Dogs.

Aydar Suniev​

This past week, Aydar Suniev and UMass played two games, a 3-1 victory over New Hampshire and a 3-2 shootout victory over UMass Lowell. Suniev was held pointless in the first game but picked up an assist in the shootout victory. For the season, the left-winger has a career-best 16 goals and 31 points in 28 games.

UMass has an 8-9-4 record with 30 points (three points for a regulation win) and sit sixth in Hockey East. All 11 teams in the conference play in the post-season, with the bottom six teams playing in the first round. There are just three games left this season, one against UMass Lowell and two against Maine.

Jaden Lipinski​

Jaden Lipinski’s Vancouver Giants didn’t have a great game, going 0-2-2. They lost 3-2 in overtime to the Tri-City Americans and 4-3 in overtime to the Kelowna Rockets. As for their regulation losses, the Giants fell 6-2 to the Wenatchee Wild and 4-3 to the Spokane Chiefs.

The Flames prospect’s best game was the 3-2 overtime loss against the Americans, as he scored both of the Giants’ goals. He also picked up an assist in their other overtime loss.

With nine games remaining, the Giants sit seventh in the Western Hockey League’s Western Conference. However, they are 16 points clear of the ninth-placed team and could realistically jump to fifth, as the fifth-placed Portland Winterhawks have 66 points.

Yegor Yegorov​

Moscow Krylya Sovetov didn’t have a great week, falling 4-3 in a shootout and 2-1 in regulation to Sakhalin Sakhalinskie Akuly. Yegor Yegorov played both games, posting a .912 save percentage and 2.78 goals against average in the shootout loss, as well as a .929 save percentage 2.04 goals against average in the 2-1 loss. For the season, Yegorov has a .911 save percentage and 2.89 goals against average.

Krylya Sovetov is currently in a post-season spot thanks to a 22-20-5 record with 49 points. They have two more points than Russkie Vityazi and the top three teams in the Western Conference Silver Division face off against the sixth, seventh, and eighth teams in the Gold Division.

Axel Hurtig​

Axel Hurtig returned this week for the Calgary Hitmen! This past week, they defeated the Moose Jaw Warriors 5-1, shut out the Calgary Hitmen 3-0, and fell 2-1 in a shootout against the Red Deer Rebels.

Missing the first game against the Warriors, Hurtig picked up a +1 in the two games he played while being held pointless. For the season, he has four goals and 13 points in 46 games and is a +35.

The Hitmen currently sit third in the Western Hockey League’s Eastern Conference but have the second-most points with a 38-15-6 record. They are just two points back of the Medicine Hat Tigers for the division and conference lead.

Cade Littler​

Cade Littler and the North Dakota Fighting Hawks played two games this past week, defeating Minnesota Duluth 6-1 and falling 6-4 to Western Michigan. Cade Littler didn’t pick up a point in either game as he has four goals and six points in 29 games this season.

North Dakota currently has a 12-8-1 record with 37 points during in-conference action. The top eight teams of the nine-team conference play in a traditional 1-8 format. North Dakota has a realistic chance to finish third in the conference as they are two points back of Denver. They play three more games this season, one against Western Michigan and two against Omaha, before they start the NCHC quarterfinals on Mar. 14.

Arsenii Sergeev​

Sticking with prospects in college, Arsenii Sergeev and Penn State are on a role. This past week, they played two games – a 3-2 victory over Michigan State and a 4-3 overtime win over Minnesota. Since I started this series on Jan. 11, Penn State is 12-1-1, including 9-1-1 in the Big 10.

Sergeev has been a big reason for that as he consistently gets pummeled with shots, yet keeps the team in it. This past week, he saved 42 of 44 shots against Michigan for a .955 save percentage and 2.01 goals against average. Against Minnesota, he saved 31 of 34 shots for a .912 save percentage and 2.85 goals against average.

All seven teams in the conference make the post-season and thanks to their hot streak, Penn State has 33 points in 23 games. However, they’ll finish fifth in the conference as they have one more game remaining this season.

Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for FlamesNation, Oilersnation, and Blue Jays Nation. They can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

Sponsored by bet365:

Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/flames...l-defenceman-for-the-second-consecutive-month

 

[Calgary Flames]

Recap: Wranglers blown out in 8-4 Saturday scoring surge

The Calgary Wranglers’ spirits were high after Friday’s win against the Abbotsford Canucks. However, all the positives they generated were quickly put out by a heavily offensive game that ended in a 8-4 win for Abbotsford. The Canucks scored three goals in both the first and second period and two in the third.

While the Wranglers scored a few themselves, it was not nearly enough to keep up with the scoring explosion on the other end.

Lineup notes​

There weren’t many changes in the lineup for this game after just playing on Friday night. Dryden Hunt was back after missing the last four games awaiting the birth of his child and to free up a forward spot, Trevor Janicke came out of the lineup. The top line was back to its usual identity and the trickle down through the lines moved a skater here and there.

Wranglers lines​

Dryden Hunt – Rory Kerins – Martin Frk

Kyler Kupka – Sam Morton – Clark Bishop

William Stromgren – David Silye – Parker Bell

Alex Gallant – Brett Davis – Lucas Ciona

Jonathan Aspirot – Tyson Barrie

Yan Kuznetsov – Hunter Brzustewicz

Artem Grushnikov – Jeremie Poirier

Devin Cooley

Waltteri Ignatjew

Game at a glance​

Both teams switched things up between the pipes for this game with Devin Cooley starting for Calgary and Ty Young starting for Abbotsford. There weren’t any shots in the opening minutes so the first bit of action consisted of a Wranglers power play just 2:18 in. They only managed to get one shot off on this opportunity and play continued.

The first goal came at 6:27 from Cole McWard. Aatu Raty won the faceoff in the offensive zone and McWard shot the puck past Cooley to take the lead early in this game. The Wranglers had a chance to even things up on the second power play of the period when Tyson Barrie set up Rory Kerins in front of the net but could not get the puck across the line.

A few minutes later, Calgary managed to answer back before they hit the halfway mark of the period when Hunter Brzustewicz made a slick evasive move through the slot, passed to Kyler Kupka, then to Yan Kuznetsov who took the shot from the point and Parker Bell deflected it in. This goal came at 9:03.



Just over a minute after Bell evened up the scoring, the Canucks took the lead again. Akito Hirose was deep in the zone and positioned his body for a pass but ended up shooting short side on Cooley and lighting the lamp.

The Wranglers misfortune continued when Rory Kerins was called for a high sticking double minor when he was going for the puck along the boards. This Canucks power play extended their lead when Aatu Raty finished a passing play off with a slap shot past Cooley at 13:56.

The was the last of the goals and the power plays through the first and after 20 minutes of play, the Wranglers trailed the Canucks 3-1. The shots in the opening frame were 12-10 Abbotsford.

Kerins made up for his extended penalty call from the first period with a goal just 1:29 into the second period. Hunter Brzustewicz set up Kerins on the doorstep and Kerins delivered. Picking up the secondary assist on this marker was Martin Frk.



This score lasted for about five minutes until Chase Wouters retook the two goal lead for Abbotsford with a one-timer at 6:30. The next shift got a little messy when Alex Gallant was called for elbowing on Jett Woo then roughing after the whistle. This play was talked about for a while, and then four minutes against Gallant ended up being the decision. This Wranglers’ coaching staff used this stoppage to make a change in net. Waltteri Ignatjew came in for Cooley at 6:49.

At 7:22, Sammy Blais ripped a diagonal shot top corner and beat Ignatjew on the first shot he faced. It was a 5-2 game at this point and when the teams lined up for the next faceoff at center ice, Clark Bishop crosschecked Jonathan Lekkermaki before the puck was dropped. Linus Karlsson stepped in and got a roughing call for his involvement.

Abbotsford still ended up on a power play and scored another power play goal at 8:45, putting them up to three power play goals on the night. Chase Wouters scored this one after the puck was tangled up in the corner for an extended period of time and he was wide open to rip a shot past Ignatjew once the puck was turned over.

The penalty string continued at 10:48 when offsetting calls were made against Chase Wouters for slashing and Martin Frk for holding. After these penalties, the rest of the period was pretty back and forth between these two and the score was 6-2 Abbotsford at the end of 40 minutes. Shots in the second period were 14-6 Canucks.

Rory Kerins once again came out of the intermission hungry for a goal. At 3:56, he scored his second goal of the night and 25th of the season with a smooth backhand deflection off Jeremie Poirier’s shot. Martin Frk also assisted on this marker.



About 40 seconds later, Dryden Hunt scored for Calgary and put them within two goals. His shot went right off the back post and popped out right away so it required a lengthy review. Even with that, the goal stood and all of a sudden, the Wranglers were back in this game with a 6-4 score. Martin Frk and Jeremie Poirier earned the assists on Hunt’s goal.



At 9:56, the Canucks added another goal to their lead when Danila Klimovich caught Calgary sleeping skated his way into the Wranglers’ zone pretty much unguarded and beat Ignatjew glove side.

The Wranglers opted to pull their netminder early and Igantjew was on the bench by 15:51. 15 seconds later, Klimovich scored again on the empty net to make it an 8-4 game. The last four minutes of the game were filled with penalties for mostly roughing and a slashing call against the Canucks. This didn’t leave much room for anything else and the Wranglers lost and split their weekend series.

The final score was 8-4 and shots finished 34-29 for Abbotsford. Devin Cooley gave up four goals on 18 shots and Waltteri Ignatjew gave up three goals on 15 shots.

Scoring stat summary​

Jeremie Poirier – 2A

Hunter Brzustewicz – 1A

Rory Kerins – 2G

Dryden Hunt – 1G

Parker Bell – 1G

Martin Frk – 3A

Kyler Kupka – 1A

Yan Kuznsetov – 1A

Highlights​

Next up​

The Wranglers continue their four game homestand into next week where they’ll host the Coachella Valley Firebirds for a back to back on Tuesday and Wednesday. Both games have a 7:00 p.m. MT start time.

Sponsored by bet365:

Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/recap-wranglers-blown-out-in-8-4-saturday-scoring-surge

 

[Calgary Flames]

Instant Reaction: Flames battle for a big point in Carolina

Welcome to Instant Reaction, where we give you our instant reaction to tonight’s Calgary Flames game and ask our readers to do the same in the comments section below!

The Calgary Flames headed into Sunday’s game with the Carolina Hurricanes desperately needing to snap their goal-scoring drought and to get a win to earn some points in the jam-packed Western Conference playoff race. Well, mission half-accomplished, we suppose?

The Flames scored a goal for the first time in three games, and managed to grind out a huge point by way of a 2-1 overtime loss to the Hurricanes.

The rundown​

The Flames had good shape to their game in the first period – they looked like a five man unit – but they were on their heels defending for much of the first period. The Flames didn’t register their first shot until 17 minutes into this game. They didn’t give up too many grade-A chances, but they barely generated anything offensively.

First period shots were 12-1 Hurricanes. Via Natural Stat Trick, five-on-five scoring chances were 7-5 Hurricanes (high-danger chances were 2-1 Hurricanes).

The second period was much better. The Flames had excellent pushback and dominated possession for the first half of the period. However, they could not score.

Late in the period, the Hurricanes finally solved Dustin Wolf.

Nazem Kadri was knocked down inside the offensive blueline, and felt he had been fouled. As he protested to the officials, the Hurricanes headed up ice. Jackson Blake threw the puck to Jaccob Slavin, who snuck past Kevin Bahl on the rush and redirected the puck past Wolf. That made it 1-0 Hurricanes.

1-0 Carolina.

Nazem Kadri took a 2 minute unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after the Hurricane goal.

: Sportsnet | NHL#Flames pic.twitter.com/fCkxMsQTEv

— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) March 2, 2025

Second period shots were 8-7 Flames. Five-on-five scoring chances were 10-6 Hurricanes (high-danger chances were 9-0 Hurricanes).

The third period was pretty back and forth, and the Flames took advantage of a special teams opportunity to draw even. Taylor Hall and Sebastian Aho took successive minors, giving the Flames a five-on-three advantage. They attacked, and just after Hall’s penalty expired, Kadri blasted a shot from Pyotr Kochetkov’s left that ramped up the goaltender’s padding and into the Carolina net to tie the game at 1-1.

FLAMES GOAL

Nazem Kadri breaks the Flames goalless streak!

: Sportsnet | NHL#Flames pic.twitter.com/tEyPnxLboh

— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) March 3, 2025

The Hurricanes pressed after the game got tied up, and the Flames struggled to get much going offensively, but they defended fairly well.

The Hurricanes got a four-minute power play off a sequence where Blake Coleman high-sticked Jordan Martinook and Joel Hanley ended up fighting Andrei Svechnikov off a net-front scrum. The Flames had to scramble around, but a combination of sticks in lanes and smart shot-blocking killed off the penalty and sent the game to extra time.

Third period shots were 10-7 Hurricanes. Five-on-five scoring chances were 11-5 Hurricanes (high-danger chances were 6-2 Hurricanes).

In overtime, the game went back and forth, with Carolina briefly thinking they scored after one of their players poked the puck into the Flames net from underneath Wolf’s glove.

But the Hurricanes managed to strand the Flames on the ice for awhile, and that led to an Aho one-timer shot that found the top corner past Wolf to give the Hurricanes a 2-1 overtime victory.

Sebastian Aho wins the game in overtime.

: Sportsnet | NHL#Flames pic.twitter.com/AmEmvN1qw5

— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) March 3, 2025

Why the Flames got a point​

Were the Flames lousy? No. Were they great? No. They were fine. They definitely got bailed out by their goaltender at key times and they didn’t generate enough offensively at five-on-five, but they did a superb job on their special teams, managing to hold a pretty good Hurricanes power play off the board. The road team obviously knew that this game was huge, and they battled throughout this game. It wasn’t pretty at times, and they definitely would’ve preferred two points, but they worked hard for their point on this occasion.

Red Warrior​

We’re gonna default to the goalie. Wolf was superb for the Flames, making big saves at big times. Honourable mention to Kevin Bahl and Joel Hanley, who were shot-blocking machines at key times. Bahl blocked a shot with his head late in the game to keep it tied at 1-1.

Turning point​

Admit it, you were worried when the Flames were given a four minute penalty for high-sticking with just over four minutes left in regulation. In the version of reality where the Flames lose in regulation, the double-minor penalty kill is the reason. But the Flames’ killers stepped up big-time, and this PK probably earned them the point.

This and that​

Nazem Kadri’s third period goal ended a stretch of 171:34 between Flames goals, the fourth-longest drought in franchise history (per Sportsnet Stats). The longest stretch, 192:42, was in November 2002.

Joel Farabee blocked a shot with his hand in the first period. He briefly left the game but returned for the second period. Kevin Bahl blocked a shot with his head in the third period. He returned to the Flames bench for overtime.

Up next​

The Flames (28-23-9) continue their road trip on Tuesday night when they visit the Philadelphia Flyers.

This article is brought to you by Platinum Mitsubishi​

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Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/instant-reaction-flames-battle-for-a-big-point-in-carolina

 

[Calgary Flames]

Flames looking for a new home for blueliner Daniil Miromanov: report

The NHL’s trade deadline is this coming Friday afternoon at 1 p.m. MT, and according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on the latest edition of the 32 Thoughts podcast, the Calgary Flames could be making a few moves.

While the Flames don’t seem likely to move out anybody significant, Friedman shared with co-host Kyle Bukauskas that one player in particular might be headed elsewhere.

Regarding the team’s current direction, Friedman noted that the Flames want to stay in the race so that their young players can gain some experience in big game situations:

“I also believe that they want their young players, their young players who are going to be a big part of their team in the future… they want those guys playing important games.”

One player that hasn’t been playing much, though, is blueliner Daniil Miromanov. Acquired by the Flames from the Vegas Golden Knights prior to last year’s deadline as part of the Noah Hanifin trade, Miromanov originally was slotted into the Flames’ top two defensive pairings. While he seemed to find a nice niche last season alongside MacKenzie Weegar, Miromanov has more recently fallen out of the top four group in favour of Joel Hanley and found himself either on the third pairing or – more often – as a healthy scratch.

Miromanov played on the Flames’ third pairing in Sunday’s 2-1 overtime loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. That game represented just his nine game appearance since mid-December, a stretch that’s seen him sit as a spectator for 20 games.

“I think they’re trying to find a place for Miromanov,” said Friedman. “He’s not really playing. He’s still a pretty young guy, wants to play. I think that they probably try to find somewhere for him.”

The 27-year-old Miromanov is a right shot blueliner that previously played forward at the junior level, and he has shown pretty good offensive instincts. Despite his age, he’s still carving out a niche for himself at the NHL level – Sunday’s outing in Carolina was just his 86th NHL game, as he’s previously missed some time due to injury. He’s under contract through next season with a $1.25 million cap hit.

The Flames are back in action on Tuesday night in Philadelphia. The 2025 NHL trade deadline is Friday at 1 p.m. MT.



Get ready, hockey fans! The Daily Faceoff Deadline is happening on March 7th from 11 AM to 4 PM Eastern, and you won’t want to miss it. We’ll be LIVE, breaking down every trade and big move as it happens, with instant reactions and expert analysis from the Daily Faceoff crew. Plus, we’ve got special guests lined up throughout the show, offering exclusive insights from some of the biggest names in the game. From blockbuster trades to surprise moves, we’re covering it all. Tune in to the Daily Faceoff YouTube channel and follow Daily Faceoff socials on March 7th to catch all the action!

Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/flames-looking-for-a-new-home-for-blueliner-daniil-miromanov-report

 

[Calgary Flames]

San Jose Sharks place ex-Flames forward Walker Duehr on waivers

The San Jose Sharks have placed forward Walker Duehr on waivers for the purposes of assigning him to the American Hockey League, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported Monday afternoon.

Duehr, 27, scored two goals in eight games with the Sharks after being claimed off waivers from the Flames on Jan. 22. His last game for the Sharks came against the Flames at the Scotiabank Saddledome on Feb. 23.

The Flames waived Duehr in January after he managed just one assist over 16 games with the team in the first half of the 2024-25 season. Duehr began the season with the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers, collecting 11 goals and 19 points in 20 games.

With Duehr now back on waivers, the Flames will have the opportunity to claim him back from the Sharks. On top of that, if the Flames are the only team to put in a claim for Duehr, they’ll be able to assign him directly to the AHL’s Wranglers without having to put him on waivers again. He’d be a big addition to a Wranglers team that has struggled greatly in recent weeks.

Walker Duehr (SJ) on waivers

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) March 3, 2025

The Flames originally signed Duehr as an undrafted free agent out of Minnesota State University – Mankato back in 2021. The Sioux Falls product became the first player from South Dakota to play in the NHL when he made his Flames debut in the 2021-22 season.

Duehr enjoyed his greatest success with the Flames down the stretch in the 2022-23 season, scoring seven goals and 11 points in 27 games under head coach Darryl Sutter. However, he failed to match that level of production the following year, contributing just two goals and seven points in 40 games before being sent back to the Wranglers.

In 92 career NHL games over parts of four seasons with the Flames and Sharks, Duehr has amassed 11 goals and 21 points. The 6’2″ right wing has also collected 37 goals and 69 points in 127 career AHL games with the Wranglers and Stockton Heat.

We’ll find out whether or not Duehr clears waivers on Tuesday at 12:00 p.m. MT.

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Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/san-jose-sharks-place-ex-flames-forward-walker-duehr-on-waivers

 

[Calgary Flames]

NHL Notebook: Oilers acquire Trent Frederic from the Bruins

It’s the most wonderful time of the year.

With Friday’s trade deadline quickly approaching, there have been a handful of moves. The most recent saw the Edmonton Oilers acquire Trent Frederic, Max Jones, and un-signed prospect Petr Hauser in a three-way trade with the Boston Bruins and New Jersey Devils.

TRADE

To Edmonton Oilers
– Trent Frederic (C/W)
– Max Jones (LW)
– Petr Hauser (RW)



To Boston Bruins
– Max Wanner (D)
– 2025 2nd Rd Pick (STL)
– 2026 4th Rd Pick (EDM)



To New Jersey Devils
– Shane LaChance (LW)

*NJD is retaining 50% of Frederic's contract ($1.15M)…

— Daily Faceoff – Fantasy (@DFOFantasy) March 4, 2025

In reality, three separate trades made this trade work. The Bruins sent Frederic with 50% retention to the Devils for Petr Hauser. New Jersey then sent Frederic, whose contract was retained another 50%, for un-signed prospect Shane LaChance.

Lastly, the Bruins traded Jones and Hauser to the Oilers for St. Louis Blues’ second-round pick in the 2025 draft, the Oilers’ fourth-round pick in the 2026 draft, and defence prospect Max Wanner.

Frederic was selected 29th overall by the Bruins in the 2016 draft and has eight goals and 15 points in 57 games this season. However, he’s coming off a career season where he scored 18 goals and 40 points in 82 games, along with three goals and five points in 13 post-season games.

Originally signed to a two-year, $2.3 million AAV deal before the 2023-24 season, Frederic has a cap hit of $575,000, allowing the Oilers to make moves before Friday’s deadline.

As for Jones, he’s a speedy left-winger who scored five goals and 15 points in 52 games last season with the Anaheim Ducks and had nine goals and 19 points in 69 games the season prior. He’s spent the majority of the season in the American Hockey League, where he has 13 goals and 21 points in 38 games, playing just seven games in the NHL this season where he’s been held pointless.

In terms of what the Oilers gave up – Wanner is a right-shot defenceman who was selected in the seventh round of the 2021 draft. This season, he has one goal and two points in 22 AHL games and has missed a large portion of the season due to injury. LaChance was selected in the same draft in the sixth round and has 10 goals and 25 points in 32 games with Boston University.

Vítek Vaněček sitting out for trade purposes​

Another trade could be in the works, as the San Jose Sharks are sitting netminder Vítek Vaněček on the second night of a back-to-back for trade purposes, according to NHL.com’s Heather Engel.

Alexandar Georgiev will start for a second straight night, San Jose coach Ryan Warsofsky said.

Vitek Vanecek will back up, but isn’t starting for trade purposes.

— Heather Engel (@engelheather) March 4, 2025

Vaněček, drafted in the second round of the 2014 draft by the Washington Capitals, made his debut with the team in 2020-21. That season, he played 37 games with a 21-10-4 record and had a .908 save percentage and 2.69 goals against average. In his sophomore season, he had a .908 save percentage and 2.67 goals against average in 42 games.

The 2022-23 season was spent with the New Jersey Devils, where he had a career-best .911 save percentage and a 2.45 goals against average in 52 games played. However, his 2023-24 season saw him post an .890 save percentage and a 3.18 goals against average in 32 games played.

Before the start of the 2024-25 season, he signed with the Sharks where he has an .882 save percentage and 3.88 goals against average in 18 games, with a 3-10-3 record.

Jake Evans signs extension with Canadiens​

One player who had his name in trade rumours was Montréal Canadiens centre Jake Evans. However, he signed a four-year, $11.4 million ($2.85 AAV) extension with the Canadiens on Tuesday morning.

The Canadiens have signed Jake Evans to a four-year extension pic.twitter.com/G2gyUcu2OB

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 4, 2025

Evans was selected in the seventh round of the 2014 draft by the Canadiens. His career-best season was in 2021-22 when he scored 13 goals and 29 points in 72 games, but is on pace to break that in 2024-25 as he has 12 goals and 28 points.

The right-shot centre is also a terrific penalty killer who has tons of speed, wins face-offs, and is physical. Any contender would’ve loved him, but the Canadiens will retain his services for the foreseeable future.

Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for FlamesNation, Oilersnation, and Blue Jays Nation. They can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

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Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/nhl-notebook-edmonton-oilers-acquire-trent-frederic-from-boston-bruins